American Graffiti
by Bu5yBea
Summary: "Hi baby, have you been waiting long?" The blonde looks up from her phone to find a slender young woman standing over her, wild and thick, curly brown hair tossed to the side. White button down shirt not quite tucked into a pair of painted on blue jeans. Plump red lips, breaking into a crooked smile just before she leans down and kisses her.
1. Chapter 1

**So much fun to write.**

* * *

A young woman sits alone in a small town bar enjoying a large steak, salad, and glass of wine. Her features are beautiful and soft; bright blue eyes, full pink lips, soft blonde curls pinned on one side. She is smiling into her phone, the a single freckle sits about a quarter inch above the left side of her smile and bobs up and down as she amuses herself. She's wearing a red henley, rolled up at her elbows, blue jeans and cowboy boots. On her wrist a large man's watch with a gold face and leather band.

A few tables over four young men are desperately trying to get her attention. Made brave by the beer in their bellies, one of them notice the large red cross on the bag at her feet. "Hey blondie, what kinda doctor are you?" his friends egg him on slapping him on the back, "Do get a lot of cases of, like, priapism?" laughter explodes from his friends filling the otherwise quiet bar.

"Dude, I really hope you are not asking me to look at your dick?" She talks to them without looking up from her phone. "I've been dick free for almost a year, and I'm not going to fall off the waggon for your crooked little stump." His friends are rolling with laughter.

"Gus! How did she know it was crooked?"

"Shut up Lincoln!" Gus is visibly deflated.

"Hi baby, have you been waiting long?" The blonde looks up from her phone to find a slender young woman standing over her, wild and thick, curly brown hair tossed to the side. White button down shirt not quite tucked into a pair of painted on blue jeans. Plump red lips, breaking into a crooked smile just before she leans down and kisses her.

The moment their lips are apart the petite blonde excitedly licks and bites her bottom lip trying to keep the taste of her new friend fresh, "I just got my food, sit down, get something too." Her blue eyes are almost silver as she gets a burst of courage, when the brunette leans forward to slide into her seat she grabs her shirt collar and lands a kiss on her bottom lip suckling at it for a moment. Taking the brunette by surprise making her hover over her wooden chair for a moment.

"Lexa, God dammit! How do you get every hot blonde that comes into this fucking bar." Gus is irrate. Him and his friends drop money on the table and leave, loudly pushing their chairs around.

Lexa's eyes follow them out of the bar, and turns her attention back to her new kissing friend. "Hi! Alexandra Espinosa, my friends call me Lexa." She pronounces the x in her full name like a j. "My parents own this bar, those guys are on my soccer team." She continues to babble nervous energy trying to be disguised with bravado. Thin fingers with too many silver rings play with her bottom lip, the blonde hears only every other word as she is trying to figure out if Lexa's eyes are green, gray, hazel. Lexa's keeping a watchful eye on her tables, they race around the room, every time they land on the stunning blonde with eyes like the sky they are a different color.

"I'm Clarke Griffin." she cuts Lexa off mid sentence about soccer. "How old are you?"

"What a rude thing to ask." She pulls a pen out from behind her ear and begins to tap it on her lips.

"Your parents own this place?"

"Yes"

"One of them is here?"

"Yea, my dad." she throws a thumb over her shoulder nearly losing the pen in the process.

"You are exceptionally cute." Lexa's eyes get wide, her eyebrows shoot up and she shifts forward in her chair. "But you don't look a day over 17. I can't imagine he saw us kiss, but if he had, would he be chasing me out of here with a cleaver? He looks quick." Clarke leans back in her chair.

Lexa bites her lower lip, trying to keep her smile at bay, "I'll tell you when you pick me up after shift."

Clarke's eyes narrow, she leans her head to the side thinking carefully about her response. Before she can get anything out. Lexa jumps at the sound of her father, "Alexandra! Estas trabajando o que?" The man behind the counter has two plates in his hands. "La gente esta esperando hija." Lexa races over to take the plates and disappears into a different section of the bar. Clarke watches her move like a sprite, full of energy, calling all of her customers by name. As soon as her father vanishes back into the kitchen she's back at Clarke's table.

"I'm off at 8."

"Why is this steak so good?"

"Argentinean beef. Are you staying in town?"

"I just moved here."

"Are you some kind of doctor?"

"Paramedic, I came from the firehouse dropping off my turnout gear. They told me to come here for dinner. Be honest, are you in high school?"

Lexa rolls her eyes, "No, I'm not in high school. Are you staying for dessert? The blueberry pie is my favourite.

"Say that again?"

"Which part? Don't make fun of my accent." She takes a tomato from Clarke's salad.

"I'm not, it's charming. Say favourite again?"

"Alexandra." She jumps up again, balancing four plates on her long toned arms. Lexa smiles at her dad and apologizes. When she returns to the bar, they talk in hushed tones for a while. Clarke can tell they are talking about her because both of them are trying very hard not to look over. Her dad keeps leaning his head in her direction and raising his eyebrows. Clarke clicks her phone back on and desperately tries to look riveted by it's contents.

 **Clarke:** I think I just kissed a teenage girl.

 **Octavia:** You think you kissed her, or you think she's a teenager?

 **Clarke:** She kissed me first, then I kissed her, now I'm pretty sure she's a teenager.

 **Octavia:** Weren't you going to lunch? We've been in town for 6 minutes. Slow your roll.

 **Clarke:** I know you're right. Shit her dad's coming.

When Lexa's father came to bring Clarke her chek he introduced himself and asks how her meal was. Welcomes her to town and invites her to comeback Tuesday; first responders eat for free.

She pays quickly and slides out before Lexa can stop her.

* * *

Octavia starts interrogating Clarke before she's even out of her truck. "Tell me about your new house? What's the Cheif like?" She's sitting on the brick steps leading to the door of their shared house beer in hand.

"The guys seem cool. The chief is a hardass, she didn't like that I was using my bag from the service, she made me switch everything over to one she had there." Octavia pops the top of the bottle on the brick step and hands a beer to Clarke as she sits on the step next to her. "I didn't meet my driver, it's her birthday today and she was off. I'll meet her day after next. I'm sure it'll be cool. You? Did you go by the station?"

"Yeah, I've gotta jump through like 57 hoops but I should have a job by next month. I stopped by the gym on the way back, there are teams looking for a striker, so…" When Clarke's last relationship imploded she picked a small town almost at random near her mom in Washington DC to start over in. Octavia having just finished with the police academy and not wanting to join a department in the city jumped into Clarke's truck at the last minute. "Tell me about this child you were kissing? If my first arrest warrant is for you, don't think i won't arrest your ass."

"Don't be gross she's not a child. She was my smoking hot waitress of questionable age." Clarke starts explaining the scene to her friend. Including every detail about Lexa's eye and how good the food was. "You should come with us tonight."

"On your date?! I'm cutting you off Griffin."

"Get away from my beer. What time is it? Shit."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the love. Let me know what you think.**

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Clarke is stuck at the light waiting to turn into the parking lot when she watches Lexa step out of the restaurant. Her slight frame is layered up against the chill of the October night; blue jeans, high tops, black leather jacket, over a blue and green flannel shirt, over a white tank top accentuating her fine figure. Hair loose, soft curls cascading down her back tucked it behind one ear as she absently checks her phone. The light finally releases Clarke, when she pulls up Lexa is lost in her phone. "Hey pretty girl. Get in the truck."

"I love old trucks! I thought that was you at the light." Her black eyeliner is thick transfixing Clarke. She slides in and scoots right up to Clarke at the last moment turning to look at the dash, "Analog dash! Nice! Raven is going to love this thing." Lexa's hair brushes against Clarke's face, she smells like flowers and vanilla, Clarke pushes the thick maine back with one extended finger, lingering her thumb on the little part of skin exposed on Lexa's neck. Lexa bites her bottom lip, hard enough for little white marks to show up under her teeth.

Clarke decides that Lexa's eyes are definitely green. She feels Lexa push against her thumb and lean towards her in the seat, "Girl..." she leans back against the window shifting in her seat so her knee pushes on Lexa's thigh and forces space between them. As Clarke looks past her passenger to see if they have an audience, "Where are we going?"

Lexa puts her hand on the extended thigh and smiles. "To a drive in." Lexa gives Clarke a few instructions on how to get out of town and headed in the right direction. They drive in surprising quiet, Lexa having run out of things to say for once and Clarke having enough of a hard time keeping her eyes on the road to create words too. Clarke fumbles with the radio and finds a suitable station.

When they pull into the parking lot it's completely empty. All the lights except for one are off. "Lexa? What are we doing here?"

"Oh it's only open in the summer, for the tourist. Now it's just a quiet place." her crooked smile is back.

Clarke pulls down the tailgate and they sit talking there for a while, she tells Lexa that her mom lives in DC, she works for the department of health and human services, that she picked this town because it's close enough to DC to spend the day in the city, but far enough that people are polite. Lexa can't sit still too long, during a story about customers she jumps off the tailgate to reenact a series of events. During a story about how she won her last soccer game with a headder in the last minute of the game she leans on Clarke's dangling legs, she rubs her thumb into a little hole she finds in the fabric over Clarke's thigh. Clarke squirms and giggles because it tickles, her legs open and Lexa presses closer into the space. The blonde thinks that if she keeps herself from putting her hands in that brown hair for another moment her hands will explode. She reaches up and plays with a rogue strand resting her hand on Lexa's shoulder. When this isn't enough anymore she slides her the back of her hand along the slope of the girl's jaw. She leans in, hesitates to breath in Lexa's quick breaths, then rubs her thumb over the eager lips, taking her time get every detail right. She kisses the top lip first, then sucks on the bottom, barely grazing her tongue on it. Lexa leans in, runs her hands up Clarke's thighs and hooks her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans, catching a little skin with her index finger just under the hem of Clarke's shirt. Both of their backs straighten at the skin contact and the kiss deepens, wet tongues explore, eager lips drink each other in. Their bodies pressing together as much as possible.

Lexa's hands unhook from their tentative perch and slide deeply under the red henley, tracing Clarke's ribs, and the dimples from the taut back muscles pulling on her kissing friend. Clarke rips herself away from the kiss, cupping Lexa's face and pushing back gently, "Hold on."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing really. I mean. How old are you?" Lexa reaches for clarke's right hand, turns the wrist so she can read the time. "Do you have a curfew? I should have asked that when I picked you up."

"I don't have a curfew," she glances up not moving her face, only her eyes. "Innnnnn five minutes, I will be 20 years old."

"Alexandra Espinosa!"

"What? This was my wish since I moved to this country, to spend my birthday making out with a gorgeous american bombshell at a drive in. Like in American Graffiti."

"That's a different kind of drive-in."

"I know, but it was the gorgeous blonde that I was most interested in."

"Say gorgeous again."

"No." She breaks through the space Clarke had created between them and lands her lips on the bottom half of a smile.

"Has it been five minutes yet?" Lexa twists Clarke's hand again, shakes her head. "Give me a count down ok?" Clarke can't take her eyes off Lexa, she is soft in all the right ways, and hard in all the ways that are nice too. Lexa's hand is warm on her skin, as she stares at the racing hands she bites and tugs at her lips with her free hand.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy birthday to m-." Lexa smiles into Clarke's birthday gift. Pulling her in tight holding the soft curve of her jaw in her palm. Sliding her hand down into the soft curls, and down Lexa's back pressing her shoulders towards her. Lexa leans her hips away from the truck, slides Clarke back away from the edge of the tailgate. Reaches up with a strong knee and pulls herself on top of Clarke straddling her. The warmth coming off Lexa's torso ignites a fire in Clarke. Her hands move quick to Lexa's waist and slide back cupping her curves and pulling her hips in as close as they would go. Lexa's hips are grinding, when warms hands reach under her tanktop and move up her spine she shivered excitedly and smiles into Clarke's hungry kissing. Lexa reaches for the hem of Clarke's shirt and begins to pull it up, quickly the blonde grabs her wrists stopping at her ribs.

"Are you not my gorgeous, american bombshell present?"

"This present doesn't unwrap on a first date. Even for a charming argentinean who is no longer a teenager." Lexa buries her face in Clarke's neck, "I'm starving, I would have eaten before I left the house if I would have known we were going to be reenacting american classic films for your birthday."

"Oh! I brought something!" With one bounce Lexa is on her feet, the second bounce launches her over the side of the truck bed, the third has her back on top of Clarke, white paper bag in her hand. "What?" Clarke shakes her head. "What? You are looking at me like something."

"What's in the bag Tigger?"

"Tigger is Pooh's friend right? Does that make you Pooh, Piglet, or the old Rabbit? I know! You are the sexy Kangaroo!" Clarke frowns and shakes her head at the thought of a sexy Kangaroo being in a children's story. "Don't shake your head, Australian girls are sexy. Stop distracting me." Clarke purses her lips together shaking her head again. "I like this little dot you have here." Lexa kisses it once. "My mother wouldn't let me leave without empanadas. They are still kind of warm." Handing one to Clarke, Lexa turns her body and sits next to her bombshell on the tailgate.

"Is there some water in that little bag?" Lexa shakes her head.

They eat in silence for a while, "Do you dance Clarke Griffin?"

"I do."

* * *

Clarke parks the truck about two blocks away from the little green and white house with it's driveway and path to the back yard lit up by strands of lights hanging from tree to tree. Clarke runs her thumb along small piece of exposed skin above the hem of the birthday girl's jeans while she leans forward sitting on her leg adjusting her hair in the rear view mirror. When she's done Lexa kisses Clarke pushing her back into the seat for a moment before pulling away and shuffling them both out the driver side door. As they pass by the tailgate Clarke pushes up into her toes and reaches for the six pack they stopped to get on the way, showing up empty handed is not her style. Lexa laces her fingers into Clarke's free hand as they walk.

"Raven is my cousin, and my best friend. She's two years older than me, and our birthdays are two days apart." As they walk Lexa fills the darkness with facts and stories about Raven. She's a mechanic, she wrecked her motorcycle last year and now she walks with a limp, but you can't even tell when she's dancing. She loves fireworks, when Lexa was little and they still scared her the only one who could get her to stop crying was Raven. When they reach the little house Clarke pauses in the driveway under the constellation of white lights, tugging down on the laced fingers a little she pulls the birthday girl in for another kiss, the music is loud but she can still hear a soft moan and feels the puff of air leave Lexa's lungs when she opens up her lips to let Clarke in. A car drives by startling Clarke and quickly pulling away to face the sound. "It's ok, you're safe." Lexa reaches for her hand again and pulls her towards the pulsating sound in the back yard.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm loving the reviews! Every one of them encourages me to write another chapter.**

 **I wrote this listening to Juanes: A Dios Le Pido.**

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"Look who it is!?" A small brunette with olive skin walks towards them, Clarke think's her limp is only noticeable because Lexa mentioned it earlier. Her arms are open and her hands wave Lexa in. As the crowd turns towards the two figures standing just outside of the cement dance floor in almost unison they yell "Header!" Lexa throws her hands in the air reeling in the crowd's welcome.

Raven crashes into her for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She turns her attention to Clarke, "Are you the one who stole my birthday twin? Raven Reyes." Her hand outstretched towards Clarke.

"Are you the one who loves old trucks? Clarke Griffin. I've got a 1987 Chevy Silverado that needs a new fuel pump."

"1987? I might have a fuel pump for you." As they talk more about the truck Raven leads them towards the cooler.

The dance floor is a cement slab flanked by a pair of blue car lifts, large speakers sit on top of each of the posts, from each of the four yellow arms reaching out into the night for each other hangs yellow utility lights with different colored bulbs. About 20 bodies pulsate to the driving rhythm of the music on the slab. Another 20 linger in the shadows, tables and chairs pushed into clusters, red and yellow plastic cups litter every surface.

Lexa trails behind Raven and Clarke because every few seconds a new person runs up to her hugging, landing a kiss on her cheek, and wishing her a happy birthday. They all ask about her birthday date, some asking where Clarke is from and how they met.

When the receiving line of kisses and hugs starts to die down Lexa looks up the DJ, an exchange of head nods introduces a familiar guitar riff blaring through the speakers. The birthday girl throws her leather jacket off her shoulders, her hips and shoulders start to tick to the beat as she slips her hand into Clarke's and leads her bombshell to the center of the crowded dance floor.

Lexa's body starts driving in earnest to the beat, grabbing each of Clarke's hands and pulling them to her shoulders, then wrapping her own around Clarke's waist. The dancing horde shout "A dios le pido." in all the right places. Lexa leads them into the intricate turns and twists of this and the following dozen cumbias. With each song Clarke loses her inhibitions more. Her body relaxes into the sensual yet innocent act of dancing. Trying to remember the last time she danced like this, like the person she was with was the only one for miles, like the music was playing just for them. Laughing loudly and discarding her inhibitions completely Clarke slid her hot palm on a sweaty neck, and pulled Lexa in for a kiss. It was sexy and it was new in a familiar way, and like at the restaurant the day before she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to.

Clarke's dance moves come back from hibernation with surprising ease. Each song loosening her hips, back more than the last. The October night's chill not doing enough to cool their bodies, sweat builds down the back of her shirt and drips along the ridge her neck. Every time Lexa reaches down and wraps Clarke tight for a turn the heat coming off her tan skin makes makes Clarke hungry for her. When Lexa leans her face on her, pressing her forehead down to feel the heat coming off her bombshell Clarke kisses the salty drips from her jaw and neck. Holding on tight with a hand on her strong shoulder. When the Shakira songs ends abruptly, Clarke grabs Lexa's forearms asking for a break.

"You move better than I expected Clarke Griffin."

Still breathing heavy, Clarke reaches into the cooler and pulls a beer out, "The night is full of discovery, birthday girl." She draws long and hard from the cool liquid. When she comes up for air Lexa grabs the bottle and finishes it's content.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?"

"Where did you?"

"That is how we dance in Argentina. We call it cumbia. Your turn."

"My dad worked for the state department, we lived in Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil. Octavia, the friend I moved here with, her mom did the same work as my dad, so we were always stationed together. She's my oldest friend."

"Is she your ex?"

Clarke let's out a sharp laugh, "No, her brother is." Lexa raise both eyebrows and pulls the corners of her mouth down. "Is that a problem?"

"Not for me bombshell."

"Actually, Octavia and I did kiss one time."

"Oh?"

"On a dare, before I started dating her brother, I was about 15. She said I kissed like I was frowning."

"Let's see?" Lexa lands a flurry soft kisses on her lips as they open into a smile, "Nope, no frown."

"How about now?" Clarke pulled her in close and gave her a proper kiss.

"Did you kiss her like that?" Clarke shakes her head. "Ok good, we'd better go back, I'm starting to want to unwrap you again." Clarke nods and they are off to twist and turn around each other on the cement slab.

Their bodies are hot and their sweat is blending together in seconds. After the second song Clarke feels a sudden and unwelcome male form pressing on her from behind. She pushes him off with an elbow to the ribs, "My priapism is back Blonde." Gus is grabbing at her arms, trying to dance with her. She pries his hands off her arms and Lexa intervees with a well placed right cross that lays Gus out on the slab.

"Hijo de tu puta madre!" She's shaking the pain from her red knuckles. The three other guys from earlier that day swoop in, pick him up and carrying him off to a nearby chair. "Llevenselo a la cama!" One of them looks back at her, talks his friends into removing Gus from the party completely.

"I'm so sorry Lexa, happy birthday." Lincoln calls back over his shoulder as his friends carry the limp Gus to the car. As she watches them leave, two thin red lines of blood make their way to her fingertips and drip on the cement.

After they leave she puts her knuckles in her mouth, and when she feels the small hand on her back she turns her attention to Clarke. She leans down close touching her lips to the blonde's ear so as not to shout "Are you ok? I'm sorry, he's such an asshole." Clarke nods and when Lexa straightens back up wipes at the blood on her lip from her bloodied knuckles. She grabs her good left hand and starts leading her back to the coolers in search of ice.

"Ever since I took his position on the team, he is always looking to get on top of me." Realizing the poor choice of her words she tries again, "You know, like, be better than me." Clarke nods in agreement still looking for a towel that clean enough to wrap on on the bleeding hand.

"Que paso!? Prima!" Raven's voice cuts through the sound of the driving dance beat. "Ese Gustavo es un pelotudo. How is her hand? Are you some kind of doctor?"

Raven hands her a clean towel from inside, reaches in a cooler for a bottle of water to pour over Lexa's hand. The still worked up Lexa flops on to a nearby chair while her hand is examined in the relative dark of the back yard.

"I'm a paramedic."

Raven nods and leans into a different cooler fishing out a beer for Lexa. "Tranquilizate." and looks back at Clarke.

"I can't see anything, it's too dark out here." In a second Raven has a spotlight shining from her phone down on Lexa's hand. Clarke turns surprised to see it's source and then back down to the dripping hand. "That's better, thanks Raven. Let's go to the truck, I can clean it, and stitch it up out there."

* * *

Lowering the tailgate again for Lexa to sit on and jumping up to the bed pulling her still unorganized kit from the toolbox Clarke is in caretaker mode. She digs through it trying to find all of the necessary pieces, she starts to ramble for the first time since meeting Lexa. She's suddenly nervous and embarrassed about not being ready. "I'm usually very organized. I had to switch bags today and now I don't know. Where. Anything. Is." She draws out her words as she lays out what she was able to find on a clean towel. She snaps latex gloves on, and extends her left palm.

Lexa complies and only allows herself the curl of her fingers and a biting on her bottom lip in reaction to alcohol and then iodine on her cut. "Sorry, I don't have anything or the pain." Lexa shrugs. "You're pretty tough huh? Do you get banged up a lot?" Lexa nods Clarke was hoping for typical long winded story, she's nervous about the pain that she's about to inflict. "Bring your knee up? And put your hand here. Try to keep it straight." She starts to weave a thin black thread pulling at the loose skin on Lexa's hand that's been skin split into three dashes. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. Some people say it helps if they don't look."

When Clarke ties her last knot and looks up from her stitches to see how Lexa is doing. She finds a calm expression, green eyes almost glowing under the streetlamp, looking at her with wonder and the paramedic bombshell has to work a little harder at breathing. When she's done and Lexa's hand has a little rectangle of gauze neatly taped to her hand, she turns the hand and kisses the palm. Looking back up to Lexa's eyes, "Charming and tough, I don't know...we might have to reenact another american film classic."

"Let's reenact Spanish classic next. A Room in Rome?"

"Charming, tough, relentless." Clarke kisses Lexa's bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood still fresh on her mouth, "Good kisser," she moves her face down to Lexa's neck, running her nose on her skin the whole way, "Smells like vanilla, and dancing, and flowers."

"What is this list for?" She takes another swig of her beer.

"Nothing, I just like making lists and counting things." She kisses the space just below Lexa's collarbone. Then straightens out and Lexa leans to greet the parted lips.

Lexa's lips are hot but her mouth is cold from the last sip. She reaches up to feel Lexa's jaw working on kissing her and realizes she is still wearing her latex gloves. "Sorry."

Lexa reaches up and plays with a strand of blonde hair as Clarke takes her gloves off, "I should put all of this away," She is not used to being looked at with wonder, and hunger, the attention makes her feel excited and like a meal all at the same time. She folds all of the bloody bits into the towel and places the whole thing in a gallon size zip top bag.

"May I take you home birthday girl?"

"I am home, unless you mean to yours. Then yes."

Lexa jumps off the tailgate and leans her chest against Clarke's back who is still fussing with her bag. Leans back into her, "More dancing?" she shakes her head. Lexa catches the hair off Clarke's left shoulder with a single finger, exposing her neck and ear. She kisses the newly discovered skin softly, and puts the small ear in her mouth, biting and licking it. A low and raspy moan bubbles up from the blonde beneath her. Turning her head up and back, catching the back of the birthday girl's head in her left hand pulling her down for a kiss. Clarke turns her body in the space between Lexa's hips and the tailgate as the kiss intensifies.

* * *

When Clarke drove off and left Lexa standing in the middle of the street it was nearly 4 in the morning. Her feet ached from the dancing, her lips were raw from kissing. She ran a fingertip over her lips and remembered Lexa leaning in through the window and kissing her with such intensity that her hands and feet went numb and her she nearly stalled the already running truck. Now Lexa was a little black line under the street light, in her rearview mirror. She was still standing in the street when Clarke reached a stop sign and turned trying to figure out how to get home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the love. What a wild ride! I just had an idea about Clarke getting harassed by idiots and Lexa taking that opportunity to steal a kiss.**

 **I'm having so much fun writing these two.**

 **Let me know how you think I'm doing; and if you have any questions.**

* * *

"Are you going to make it?" The only response Octavia got was a groan. "When did you get home?"

Clarke was laying face down on the couch, her feet up on the armrest, one arm hanging off playing with her phone on the floor. She's in her well worn navy blue University of Colorado EMS t-shirt, and a pair of black soccer shorts she dug out of the hamper in the dark. As she turns, phone in her hand, the navy blue tshirt bunches up and let's a few freckles on her flat belly peek out.

"Uuumm after 4." She throws the phone to a nearby chair and massages her face with both hands. "I slept down here. Are these your shorts? It was all I could find to change into in the laundry room."

"Damn! The teenager must now a thing or two." Octavia is half dressed in soccer shorts, a sports bra and sox. Her long brown hair tied neatly into a ponytail.

"She's not a teenager anymore. You can put your arrest warrant away; she turned 20 last night."

"Still a baby thought."

"I'm sorry, weren't we celebrating your 21st the summer before last? Am I getting that confused with your 31st?"

"Good point. I'm going to see if I can jump in on a game today. Can I take your truck?" Clarke looks over at where she threw her phone leaning on her elbows and flops back down folding her arm over her face.

"Sure. Actually, can I go with you? I could use the distraction."

"Um... Sure. What's up?" Octavia pats Clarke's legs indicating she'd like to sit where they are resting.

"Nothing. It's just." Octavia can see a smile forming under Clarke's arm. "It's too soon to call, right?"

* * *

"Fancy meeting you here?" Clarke sets her kit on the ground and kneels down to assess the injury. The beautiful brunette from the night before is laid out face down on the grass, in a black soccer uniform with a thin red zigzag line running the circumference of her ribcage and a big number 10 on the back, black sox with a pair of red stripes up each side pulled up to her knee and gold cleats. Clarke squeezes some ointment on her hands and starts rubbing the aggrieved hamstring, "I think it's just a cramp." Lexa turns her head towards Clarke and bites down arm so as not to scream as her charlie horse get's squeezed out. "This is probably a fairly common injury for birthday girls who spend all night dancing, then try to run down a loose ball and get tackled." Lexa's teeth release her own skin to smile at her medic who is enjoying rubbing Lexa's thigh. "My friend Octavia is over there talking to your team, she's looking to sub in." She nods to the sideline a cluster of red and black surrounds the a small brunette with a red number 9 jersey.

Lexa is not about to get subbed, she starts to get up. "Ok, I'm good." Pushing on her good leg to a standing position. Then bending at the waist a few times to work the rest of the cramp out. "The world's most beautiful paramedic, if I'm lucky someone will knock the wind out of me and you can come back to give me mouth to mouth." She winks at Clarke running backwards a few steps, then straightening out pulling at her ponytail. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" she yells at her teammates, pulling them from Octavia's gravity field. Clarke watches her bound away kneeling on the field for a few seconds before she can gather herself and her stuff and finds Octavia heading to the truck.

"Oh my God! Is that _the_ Lexa?" Octavia is talking a little louder than Clarke would like as they pass families in folding chairs along the sidelines. She nods sinking her hands deep into the pockets of her corduroy jacket.

Clarke had driven right on to the field almost, "You never know when a compound fracture is going to ruin your Saturday." she had said backing the truck up from the parking lot. "Please keep your voice down." Clarke looks around and smiles at some onlookers, and brings her shoulders up, a feeble attempt to hide her face.

"I'm not even into that, but I might make an exception. Does she have any brothers?" Octavia ads watching Lexa steal a ball.

Octavia and Clarke sit on the tailgate and watch the rest of the match. Number 10 dribbles her opponents dizzy, every time she has the ball, if someone had the audacity to challenge her she makes them regret it, popping the ball up and over their heads, through their legs, dribbling with her heals. The crowd egging her on with an "ole!" every time. She even got to watch her signature move, heading the ball into the goal, "Header!" the crowd cheered, "Header!" And suddenly the previous night's greeting made sense.

When the game was over Lexa came trotting up to the truck just as Octavia ran off to exchange numbers with both teams, offering to sub. "I think I need another one of those massages, gorgeous."

"I thought you had left all of your fancy moves on the dance floor last night."

"You should remember I also had fancy moves when I was sitting right here." Lexa slides her hands up Clarke's thighs sending chills up her neck. Clarke doesn't even look around to see who's watching, Lexa has a disarming effect on her, when she's around her guard goes down. Clarke reaches up and removes a blade of grass from number 10's face, "Thank you." Lexa leans in and is met with a soft kiss, when she tries to turn up the heat Clarke pulls away, leaning back on her hands. "Do you want to come back to the house? I'm feeding the team."

"I have Octavia with me."

"So? Bring her too."

"Aren't you sick of me yet?"

"Are you sick of _me_?" Lexa takes a step back but Clarke grabs her hands before they slide off her thighs shaking her head as she pulls Lexa's hands around her waist kissing the newly minted 20 year old. Her lips taste of salt and yellow gatorade.

"Take it easy you two, some of us are trying not to vomit."

"Lexa, this is my oooooold friend Octavia."

Octavia reaches her hand out, but Lexa hugs her instead, "Fuck you." She says over Lexa's shoulder, causing her to pull away quick, "Oh, not you...her. She's making fun of me for something I said about 5 hours ago." Octavia points to the field, "You are a little too good for this league."

"It's the best I can do in this area. It keeps me in shape and is more fun than going for a 10 kilometer run."

"I hear you there. Did you play in college?"

"No, in Argentina, I played for the national 18 and older team. I wanted to play pro, but it didn't work out."

"What happened?"

"I came here. Listen, why don't you both come to the house, and have lunch with us." Octavia and Clarke exchange a few looks, the blonde implying that it was up to her to decide. "Did you just talk to each other telepathically? That was amazing. Lincoln!"

The tall young man from the night before starts towards them. Octavia's eyes get wide and she tries to contain the fact that she is scanning every inch of him, from his shaved head, to his trimmed beard. From his wide muscular shoulders under his denim jacket to his sagging pants exposing just enough of his Diesel briefs. When he smiles and says a sweet " _Damas"_ Octavia shots one eyebrow straight up.

"Pasa por el mercado, busca otro pollo, y unos chorizos más. Me parece que las tengo convencidas que vengan." Lexa looks between them, "You are coming?" They both nod.

* * *

After much deliberation about who needed to go where Lexa ended up in the truck with Clarke and Octavia in Lincoln's red GTI. Dashboard Confessional is blaring out of Clarke's speakers as they make stops for beer and then the restaurant, there was a pause in the conversation that lasted almost two blocks. Enough for Hands Down to play in it's entirety.

"So you've only been in the states for a few years?"

"Yes, I finished high school there and then came. But the school year is different than here, so I was a year ahead of where I would have been here." Clarke was getting used to getting more information than she bargained for, "I was going to study political science in university. But, someone close to me, she was killed and my parents felt that it was not safe for me in Argentina, so."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Who was she?" Clarke reaches and turns the music down to a whisper.

"She was a teammate, and my girlfriend."

"I'm so sorry. What was her name?"

"Kostia, she hated it because it was a boy's name."

"I hear that."

"I love your name, Clarke."

"Sit closer to me?"

"I stink."

"I don't mind." They drive the rest of the way listening to the music in silence, with Clarke reaching from Lexa's bare knee to the shifter, and Lexa's arm up on the back of the seat, her twisting Clarke's golden curls around her thin fingers.

When they get back to the house, Lexa takes Clarke by the hand and pausing only to instruct that no one is to start grilling until she returns leads them both to her room. Clarke scans the crowd and spots Octavia and Lincoln talking by the coolers just as the screen door closes behind her. The house is small; they walk into the kitchen, on the other side of it Clarke can see a room with a couch and a tv, in the corner of the kitchen there is a flight of stairs at the top is Lexa's room.

Lexa walks in an deposits her cleats in a plastic bin, Clarke is right behind her. Lexa's room is bright, the walls are painted yellow, the bedspread is green, there is a small brown desk in the corner with a computer and books on a shelf above the screen. There is a framed poster of a horse in mid gallop in a field over the bed, and another framed poster of Messi in his blue and red jersey arms out, one foot planted the other mid strike. The bed is low to the ground and has a single piece of wood as the headboard. A long shelf holds family photos, Clarke walks over to them: Lexa as a very cute and very fat baby with a crown of brown curls, Lexa's parents on their wedding day, Lexa and Raven smiling in knitted caps and scarves about 5 years ago, Lexa in a jersey different from the one she wore today her arm wrapped around a teammate's shoulders both of them beaming smiles. The teammate's features are a lot like Lincoln's, she's taller than Lexa, full brown lips, rich caramel colored eyes, her tight curls held back with a headband.

"Is this Kostia?" As Clarke turns her attention back to Lexa she is already half undressed and heading into the bathroom.

"Yes."

"She was beautiful."

"Yes." Lexa disappears into a small bathroom.

"Don't get your stitches wet."

"They are on my right hand. Are you coming to help me?" Lexa ducks her head back into the bedroom.

"What happened to the latex gloves I have you last night?"

"They were for showering? I gave them to Raven, her hands are always so dirty. Come help me?" Ignoring the request Clarke flops down on the bed, and pulls out her phone from her pocket.

When Lexa comes back out of the bathroom she is wearing only underwear, a pair of red and white boy short and with a matching red and white bra. Clarke suddenly can't remember how to breath. Lexa's hair is in a towel, and when she turns her back to her guest she reveals a truly amazing sight.

Starting on her right hip and winding up through her back there is a large tattoo of a tree, it's 3 inch wide trunk twisted and braided on to itself, dark brown branches reach up through her lats and across the the middle of her back disappearing into a canopy of green that ends midway up her shoulderblades under her bra strap, over her left shoulder a dove flies. Clarke remembers how her hands had moved over this skin the night before, unaware of the art beneath her fingertips. She puts her phone on the night stand but doesn't take her eyes off Lexa as she walks to the computer turns on some music and proceeds to bounce around the room, every so often throwing an article of clothing on the bed. With every twist of her hips and jut of a shoulder she reveals another expertly chiseled muscle.

"What do you see Clarke Griffin?"

"A most magnificent sight."

"Yeah?" She walks across the top of the bed and comes down over Clarke's hips, long bare legs folding on either side of her. "Will you help me with this?" In her hand is a new piece of gauze and the small roll of tape Clarke gave her the night before. Still laying down Clarke cuts four strips of tape with her teeth, and sticks them to Lexa's thigh. Then folds the gauze to make a rectangle laying it over the knuckles with little black knots on them the skin is pink and a little swollen under the knots. Lexa watches as Clarke lays the tape in a perfect parallel. When she's done she sits up and flips Lexa's hand and kisses the palm, then kisses the inside of the wrist, then the inside of the elbow, then the shoulder, then the two kisses on the sternum, one on the chin. Lexa reaches up and takes the towel from her hair, as Clarke kisses her mouth, cool brown strands of hair cascade over her face.

When Clarke's hands squeeze and caress the Argentinean's back she thinks of the image inked there, and tries to feel the edges. With one arm wrapped along Lexa's lower back Clarke shifts them both until Lexa is lying down and she is on top of the tight body in red and white. She slides her wrapped arm up and when it's hooked under Lexa's right arm she lifts one more time so Lexa's head is on her pillows. "Why are you so strong?" The Argentinean's arms are draped over Clarke's shoulders when she shrugs.

Clarke pauses a moment before pushing her hips down on Lexa's, as she looks into Lexa's eyes she remembers to take her keys out of her pocket and puts them on the night stand. Lexa's hands slide off Clarke's shoulders and wrap around her face as they start to kiss. The blonde lays her entire weight on the muscled girl below her. Feeling every inch of skin on the long toned legs at her sides.

Lexa slides one hand beneath blue jeans raking her nails against skin that dimples as Clarke pushes her hips down. Her hands reach for the hem of Clarke's shirt again, and again the blonde shakes her head, pinning the wrists under the pillow. "Not yet." Lexa whimpers into Clarke's kiss.

Lexa complies and buries her hands under the headboard. Clarke works her way down from Lexa's lips kissing bare solders, collarbones, and breasts. With each kiss she can feel Lexa's body is working hard to keep her hands on the headboard her muscles ripple and struggle against each other, her hips and ribcage twist. The twisting gets worse when Clarke sits up on her knees and slowly traces her hands down from the brown curls to the red and white briefs. Sliding her index finger under the elastic, she looks up into the eager green eyes, "Is this ok?" Lexa nods quickly for a while biting her bottom lip before Clarke moves her hands and removes them.

Kissing Lexa's hips, thighs and knees Clarke adjusts her body so that her knees on the edge of the bed, and the back of Lexa's thighs are resting on her shoulders and she begins kissing, teasing, and licking. She can feel her warm excitement in her mouth as her hands reach up to find exposed nipples. She doesn't stop when hips are shaking, she doesn't stop when thighs tighten around her ears, or hands are in her hair, or because of moaning, or because of screaming, she stops when hips are lifted up off the mattress from a back that is arched in excruciating ecstasy.


	5. Chapter 5

**I could not be any happier with the love I've been getting from you all. Thank you!**

 **Keep the reviews coming, keep the questions coming. Let me know how I'm doing.**

* * *

"Thank God! We are starving!" Raven's voice cuts through the chatter in the back yard as the two lovers emerge.

"Clarke was giving me my birthday present."

"Oh yeah? What'd you get? Can I see?"

"Te cuento después pajarito." (I'll tell you later little bird)

Lexa begins the work of getting the grill started and cleaned, Clarke who is absently sucking her lips invites Raven to come see the truck.

"Sweet truck!"

"Thanks, it was my dad's. My grandmother let me have it when we came back to the states for good."

"How long ago was that?"

"6 years, seems like a really long time when I say it outloud, I came back for College." Clarke reaches up with her hand and rubs her side absently. Raven is watching Clarke's every move, while making it look like she's checking out the truck; turning the key, looking at the dash, clicking on a flashlight and looking at the wiring under the dash.

"Where was that?"

"University of Colorado, Denver. I'm closer to Octavia's family than my own so when her mom got work at the Air Force Academy I followed them out."

"It took you 6 years to finish?"

"No, it just took me 6 years to want to be this close to my Mom again. I've been working the last two years as a paramedic in Denver. I needed a change of scenery, working in a big city like that is intense." Clarke knew what this conversation was about, she knew Raven would report everything back to the Espinosas.

"Wait you drove this thing here from Denver? Open the hood." Raven climbs inside the engine like a bird in a nest, rooting around and assessing her surroundings.

* * *

After much eating there was dancing, the setup was much less impressive than the previous night, Raven rigged up a set of car speakers to someone's phone. The strings of lights were gone, after it got dark Lincoln put Octavia on his shoulders and she strung a single worklight from one of the yellow arms. "Those move up and down you know." Raven teased. He walked around for a while with her up there, not letting her down, Lexa handed her a broom and asked if she'd do the gutters.

The night was full of laughter, when they rested from dancing Clarke sat on Lexa's lap and played with her hair, Lexa wrapped her arms tight around her and smelled Clarke's, neck lips barely grazing the skin. Octavia told embarrassing stories about growing up with Clarke on military bases, about sneaking out, and drinking and getting caught doing both. Raven told stories about all the trouble her and Lexa would get into when she would spend her 3 months of the year in the states helping with the restaurant while school was on summer vacation in Argentina. When Lexa would get embarrassed Clarke would kiss her on her temple, and when Clarke jumped up trying to make Octavia stop telling a story Lexa held on tight around her waist letting her friend finish.

"I want to know everything about you." Lexa whispered in Clarke's ear. When they started to sit around longer than they were dancing Raven pulled out a fire-pit she made from an oil drum.

In the darkness of the back yard, with their faces lit orange from the burning logs, wrapped in a blanket administered to every couple by Raven, Lexa reached for Clarke's jaw and kissed her slow and deep.

Clarke struggled her whole life to feel safe; growing up, when they lived abroad, her parents were always on her about being aware of her surroundings. Warning her that people aren't always what they seemed. Clarke's mom was always asking her, "How do you think that looks to someone who doesn't know you?" Lexa felt genuine though, Clarke could feel it in her bones, in the bottom of her feet every time she laid hands on her. She knew it from the way Lexa treated her friends and family with such reverence, like they were all that mattered.

With a hand on her jaw Lexa turned Clarke's face so she could suck at the skin on her neck. In a second Clarke got her bearings and feeling a pang of insecurity she looked around the fire. Feeling Lexa's nose run the length of her neck and then the warm breath of an exhale, "What do you smell there pretty girl?"

"I don't know, but it's good. It's sweet like fruit, and bread, and" with every world Clarke can feel soft lips brushing her skin, the fire that's been burning inside her for Lexa crawls up her ears and almost engulfs her entirely. "Jasmine. I would have never guessed that my american bombshell would smell this way."

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know...whiskey and cigarettes?" They laugh softly together swaying back and forth leaning on and holding eachother.

"Lexa, I work on Monday, so I'll have to leave soon."

"Why? Tomorrow is Sunday.'

"I need to organize my kit, and unpack my room, and find my work boots, go to bed before 4 am."

"Can I come over and help, gorgeous?" Clarke shakes her head. "Why not?" Her hand comes up out of the blanket where it was wrapped around Lexa's arm, and sooths the worry forming on her forehead.

"Because, you are too pretty," Clarke leans in to whisper, "You taste like heaven," then looking back in Lexa's eyes, "and the way your mouth says gorgeous is ...distracting." Lexa starts to pout and Clarke sucks a kiss from the bottom lip, "I can't even remember who I am around you half the time." and goes in for another kiss.

"You are Clarke Griffin." Lexa says as her bottom lip is trapped between white teeth. They sit and kiss, and trace each other's features in the relative dark. Octavia reappears, Lincoln having gone home. Clarke knows this is her cue to go, she gets up promising to come by the restaurant for lunch. When she drives away Lexa is standing in the street just like the night before, a black line in her rearview mirror getting smaller and smaller.

* * *

The firehouse was an old building, with more space for trucks than people. The dorms were coed, each single bed had a large locker next to it, they lined the exterior walls of a large room. In the center of the room were three rows of footlockers for the three different shifts.

Clarke was washing the ambulance directly in front of it's bay as was customary for new members of a house to do. Her driver was keeping her company with two other firemen sitting in folding chairs getting to know each other by telling dirty jokes. Her back was to the street as she was paying particular attention to the grill of the rig, dead bugs had formed a crust over the chrome there.

"What have we here?" One of the men asked in a hushed tone.

"What we have here is, the girl from the steak house. She runs by here all the time." Clarke's driver was affectionally known as Echo, she repeated all orders given to her, especially in emergency situations, and nearly always repeated what those around her said for emphasis.

Clarke's head whipped around like it was on a swivel, nearly dropping the scour brush in her hand. It was unseasonably warm for late October in Virginia. Clarke wiped her brow and watched as Lexa ran in front of the newly built hospital approaching the firehouse. Even from 3 blocks away she was stunning: black soccer shorts, black sports bra, a single braid swinging behind her, gleaming torso exposed to the warming sun, and a huge black dog at her side. When she was across the street from the firehouse Clarke put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Lexa stopped abruptly, her smile beckoning Clarke from across the street.

"Op, we've got a live one." the other man said as Clarke started across the street.

"See, this is exactly what I was talking about the other night. Distracting!"

The black dog pulls on the leash and lets out a low growl, Lexa yanks back her arms and shoulders expose muscles just beneath the skin "She's my friend Apolo. Don't touch me just in case." Clarke puts her hands deep into her navy blue cargo pants. "I didn't recognize you in your uniform. I'm not stalking you I promise, I run by here all the time." She is breathing heavy, and with every exhale the skin on her stomach contracts and exposes neat pattern of little squares.

"Yeah, my driver said that."

"I thought about changing my route, but then I wouldn't be able to bring him."

"Speaking of, where did this beast come from?"

"He's my parent's dog, but he's too much for them so I run him when I can. They live on the other side of the Hospital."

"You look good."

"I do? All sweaty?"

"Yes, all sweaty even."

"You are coming for lunch still?"

"I don't think I could stay away."

"Don't bring them." Lexa looks over Clarke's shoulder.

"I can't, what if I get a call."

"But I want you to myself." The bottom lip juts out.

"Don't make that face and tell me I can't touch you. I'll bleed out on the street faster than they can cross it from being mauled by this hellbeast but I'm kissing you next time you make that face." Lexa sucks her lip into her mouth, biting it, and shakes her head. "Don't make that face either." Lexa's bottom lip slips out and she absently runs her tongue over where she bit. "You are so bad. I'm going to be scraping gravel from some guy's face later and think about your mouth and scoop out his eye. You should go."

"That was gruesome."

"Yeah, sorry. It's kind of how we deal with, stuff, here. The uniform brings it out in me."

"If you can't come by alone for lunch, then when can I see you?"

"You sure you wanna see me? Even after I was gruesome?"

"Yes, even after you are gruesome."

"Well played. I'm not off until tomorrow morning at this time."

"What if I came by running with out my hell beast, do you think I could get someone to take me home?" Lexa pauses to look over Clarke's shoulder again. "Maybe the guy back there with the mustache."

"Um...ya...I think he'd take you home. But you'd have to kiss him with all that hair around his lips."

"I don't mind a little hair."

"You are so bad. I'm walking away. Have a safe run, nice meeting you Apolo." Clarke steps off the curb without looking just as a car is approaching at the last second it swerves, just missing her and honking. Clarke freezes in place. After the car drives off, she turns around, "See? Distracting." She emphatically checks the road both ways before attempting to cross again. When she safely reaches the other sidewalk, she blows a kiss to the brunette who is already running in place.

"Fuckin'A! I thought I was going to have to spend my afternoon power washing your brains from the street Griffin. Did you at least get her number? I hope she's worth it."

"You have no idea."

* * *

October was in regular form by the following morning, cold and windy. Clarke walked out of the firehouse, her dufflebag hanging low from her shoulder. She had showered and changed out of her navy blue uniform, into her standard blue jeans and cowboy boots, a long sleeve cotton t-shirt and a worn brown corduroy jacket with silver buttons down the front and cozy sherpa-lining that extended up through the collar. Her blonde curls hung loose and a little damp around her shoulders and her face contorted bracing against the sudden chill. As she turned the corner and found Lexa already sitting on her tailgate holding two coffees her grimace turned into a smile.

"Hey pretty girl, wanna go for a ride?"

Lexa's hair was loose except for one small braid over the top of her head keeping her hair out of her face, she was wearing a baby blue hoodie with the AFA emblem in gold in the corner, with black sweatpants and her running shoes. As Clarke approached her she stuck her legs and arms out and the blonde walked right and leaned on Lexa. "I'm so tired, I could sleep for two days."

"You were busy last night?"

"Yes, and it takes me for ever to sleep in a new house."

"I have coffee for you." Lexa yawns into the shoulder of corduroy.

"We you up all night with one of your other girls?"

"No, I have no other girls, well there's Raven. She helped me stay up."

"Why?"

"So we could be sleepy together, I want to see you in your jammies."

"Are you serious? Get in the truck I'm taking you home. You're going to love my jammies." To stay alert Clarke drove with the windows down, Lexa huddled in the opposite corner trying not to freeze.

Octavia left a note on the counter that she was at the gym. Clarke dropped her duffle by the door and climbed the stairs with Lexa's hand in her back pocket. Her room was on left side of the house, there was a shared bathroom between her and Octavia's rooms. The little house was old, the wooden stairs groaned and popped, the wooden floors in her room wined and squealed with nearly every step Clarke took. Were it not for the warm hand in her back pocket Clarke would think she was alone because Lexa, somehow moved soundlessly. The small blonde watched as she floated around the room, taking every detail in.

Everything in Clarke's room was a shade of gray or blue. Lexa paused for a moment with every photo in the large collage hanging on the wall, reaching up to touch a charcoal sketch and stopping herself, resting her hand on a pile of boxes in the corner. "I thought I would distract you from putting these away."

"Turns out I hate unpacking and I found lot's of other distractions. Can I get you anything? A glass of water?" Lexa shakes her head, and Clarke starts taking her boots off. "Are we really going to sleep? I love naps, I'm so excited." She takes her coat, and hangs it from the corner of the footboard, when her pants are in a heap on the floor she looks at Lexa who is just staring, green eyes wide with wonder. Clarke's shirt is long on her torso and all Lexa can see is a peak of black fabric curving below. "Come here." Clarke takes her by the hand and sits her on the edge of the bead, kneeling in front of her she removes the sneakers. She stands and pulls the sweatshirt up and over Lexa's head. Lexa is left wearing a short sleeved gray t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on it. Clarke reaches her hands back and unclasps her bra discarding it on top of her jeans, the stunned brunette does the same; even in her excitement her eyelids blink in slow motion. "Are you almost asleep?"

"I've never been more awake in my whole life." Lexa reaches up and catches Clarke's hips, pushing up on the t-shit a little so she can rub her thumbs on the soft skin there.

"Don't get too excited Tigger, all we're going to do is sleep."

"Stop being such a sexy kangaroo." She pulls her closer and kisses the soft belly just above the waistband of the black panties. Clarke pulls away and moves to the head of the bed.

"Scoot, this is my side."

Clarke lays on her side facing the center of the bed and watches Lexa walk around the bed to her side. She climbs in and pushes Clarke's shoulder until she's laying on her back. Clarke watches the green eyes wash over her, Lexa sweeps the pink lips with her thumb then leans down and presses her own lips to them. The tip of a tongue whispers on Clarke's bottom lip.

"Is this ok?" Lexa asks tightening her body against Clarke's pushing into her nook. Quiet blue eyes look up at her and then she gets a confirming nod. Lexa lays her head on Clarke's shoulder and kisses her neck on time. The blonde reaches for Lexa's hand and lays it over her ribs.

It's been a long time since Clarke slept with the weight of a girl on top of her. It's familiar wrapped in the excitement of something new. Lexa is warm and she drapes herself over Clarke like her body was made for it. Clarke brushes the hair back from her face and rubs the skin there for a minute until she hear's Lexa's rhithmic breathing. She smiles to herself and allows herself to doze off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is some of Clarke's back story. This chapter was hard to write, and I poured over every word, it's hard even now to publish it, I want to mess with it some more. But I feel like I'm just moving stuff around and not making it any better.**

 **Thank you all for reading and following my writing. I love your reviews, and your questions.**

* * *

Clarke parks her truck in the street because there is a mysterious yellow motorcycle in her driveway, the license plate says GLD BT, "Who would be crazy enough to ride in November?" She thinks to herself. Stomping up the wooden steps to the front door, throwing her duffle towards the stairs and then, taking off her warm corduroy jacket she calls out to asses who the visitor is, "Octavia?"

"Clarke! In here!" Lexa is sitting at the kitchen table, leather jacket still on, her helmet is on the floor, she looks like she's been crying. Clarke is frozen in the doorway. "I'm going to let you two talk alone."

"Please don't." Lexa says with a crack in her voice. "I want someone here to tell me if she's lying."

"Lexa, what's going on?" Clarke is still holding the space where a door used to be.

"We have been seeing eachother for over a month. You have seen all of me, put your hands all over my body," Octavia knows where this is going and she's starting to squirm. "But you won't let me do the same. Our relationship is not even; there are so many rules. I've tried being patient, no I _have been_ patient. I do not pry, I do not push you past where you are comfortable just to sooth my curiosity, to quiet my doubts." She looks between Clarke and Octavia, both of whom look like kids being scolded. "You hide, and you withhold and it feels to me like lying. Who was just here Clarke?"

"My mom."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"Because, it's none of her business who I'm with."

"So then do not tell her about me, but tell me about her. You know everything about me. But you hide your family from me, or maybe you are hiding me from them."

"You don't understand, my mom is complicated. She's all into appearances, and what people are going to think."

"What is wrong with my appearance? What are people going to think about me?"

"Oh God, I'm making this worse. Octavia? A little help?"

"She's a bitch Lexa. Clarke's mom is a stuck up bitch who is never going to let her live down the fact that she's not in NYU getting a PHD in neurosurgery or some shit. So she belittles everything she does and points out every little flaw in every person Clarke's life."

"I would have hidden me from her too. Excuse me." Lexa pushes past Clarke and is out the door.

"You need to go out there and explain what is going on to her."

"You need to mind your own business."

"She thinks she's done something wrong."

"I know but what else can I do. I don't know what else to say."

"Tell her the truth."

"I've tried!"

"Try harder! She doesn't understand this stuff."

"Octavia, don't be like that."

"I'm not being like _anything_. If, like she says, you haven't explained your family then she has no clue, her family is so different, it's like you come from a different planet." Clarke sighs heavily, they hear the sound of the motorcycle turning on. "Don't let her get on that bike upset. Clarke!" The blonde finally reacts grabbing her coat and bounding down the front steps.

"Lexa wait!" She's putting on her helmet. "Please come back inside." Throws her leg over the bike. "Let me explain." Clarke is finally close enough to hit the kill switch on the handle bars. "You are right. I'm keeping something from you, it's a big deal and I just don't know how to talk about this stuff." Lexa is taking her helmet off. "You are so open, so brave, so willing to share yourself with the world, I'm not like that, I wasn't raised like that. Please come inside." Clarke digs her hands into the pockets of her coat and looks around to see if she's making a scene. Lexa watches her and tears start rolling down her cheek at the realization that even in this moment Clarke can't stop worrying about what others think about her. "Please stop crying, you're breaking my heart."

"You are embarrassed of me." She takes her helmet back off.

"No."

"You don't want to tell your fancy mom about your waitress girlfriend."

"No." Shaking her head she reaches up to wipe tears from Lexa's face.

"Tell me something, something real or I'm leaving for good."

"I love, the time we spend together. You are kind, and sweet, and smart, and sexy. She is toxic, and judgemental, and I am weak. I'm no good at standing up to her. I wouldn't be able to protect your goodness from her grossness. So I lied to you, I avoided you all week, to protect you and all it did was hurt you. I'm so sorry." Lexa puts her leg back over the bike, and starts heading inside.

Octavia is still in the kitchen, petrified behind the counter where Lexa had asked her to stay. Without taking her jacket off Lexa takes her place back at the table and Clarke leans on the door frame.

"Ok" the blonde starts gathering her facts. "The last place we were stationed, Octavia's family and mine was Colombia, about 10 years ago, or was it 6? I was 17, and O was 15, B was 20 so that makes it 7 years ago." Octavia nods, encouraging her friend.

"Ok so, we lived on this huge complex, all state department and military and contractor families. It was like a little village of just us. Bellamy had gotten a job with the contracting company that did security for this complex so he could stay with his family and me, we were dating. Octavia and I snuck out all the time; it was super dangerous but we were stupid kids. Long story short Octavia and I end up owing money to some local drug dealer. He came looking for us, waited outside the gates of the complex until he saw me in the car with my dad" She looks over to Octavia who looks like she's holding her breath.

"He, um, he had an automatic rifle and he shot at us, at the car. Something like, 20 or 30 rounds. Bellamy came out to help us when the guy was reloading, when he got to the car my dad was already gone." Tears are streaming down Clarke's face, she wants to look at Lexa, to see what her reaction is but she can't her eyes watch her own hands fiddle with the button on her coat. She closes them tight, takes a deep breath to summon the courage to finish her story. When she opens them again Lexa is standing right in front of her.

"I'm almost done, let me finish." Lexa takes a few steps back and leans on the table. "Bellamy dragged me out of the car and into the guard post before the guy started shooting again. We were pinned down until more guards came, they caught the guy and...anyway." Clarke lifts her shirt to reveal a scar in between her ribs two inches down from her bra. It starts in the middle of her torso and wraps around to her back. The scar is about the width of a pencil and is a shade pinker than her own skin. "Sometimes when you get shot in the chest, the bullet moves around. I was shot too, they had to go looking for the bullets inside my chest, they took half of my liver out." She runs her hand on her scar. "I'm embarrassed about the scar, and I'm embarrassed about getting my father...um, killed." She puts her shirt back down and wipes roughly at the tears rolling down her face. "And that's why I make rules."

Octavia walks over and hugs Clarke around the shoulders, putting a kiss on her forehead, "Good girl."

* * *

Honesty and crying have a way of wearing a person out. Clarke woke up to the sound of Lexa in the kitchen, it was as if she could do nothing with out music playing. The gentle drumming and guitar playing of Argentinean folk music quietly creeping up the stairs from the kitchen, a woman's voice soulfully singing about the earth, beaconing her to the kitchen. She stood in the doorway hands in her blue hoodie, watching Lexa for a while before making herself known, "What are you up to pretty girl?" Pots and pans lay in various stages of use all over the kitchen. Flour covers every flat surface, that didn't have tomato sauce on it. "Can I help?"

"I'm making gnocchi and chicken. It's a family recipe. Like chicken and dumplings, but different. Can I have a kiss?" Clarke pads pads over, puts both hands around the chef's face rubs her thumb on her chin and sucks on her bottom lip. "Hmmm. That was nice, I might need another one of those." she smiles and does it again. "You want to help? Can you scoop the gnocchi out with this when they float to the top and put them in here." Clarke takes the spoon and with the precision of a surgeon cuts through the bubbles with her ladle. "My abuela used to make me these when I would come back to Argentina, I was so homesick for my parents, and Raven. It was the only thing that would help feel better."

"How did you get to the store? Did you walk? It's like 5 miles away."

"I took Jasper, gorgeous."

"You what, who's Jasper?"

"Your truck. Just because I _don't_ drive doesn't mean I _can't_ drive. Don't be mad, Octavia showed me all the tricks before she left. You know, Raven can make that Jasper trick free."

"I'm sure she can, but then everyone will want it. I'll be having to lock the doors and hide the keys. Why do you keep calling it that?"

"Because that's his name. He told me on the way back from the store."

After they soothed their bellies, and told Octavia to look in the fridge for leftovers when she got home. They sat and talked for a while. Clarke, having recently vowed to be more open, was answering as many questions as Lexa could come up with. Clarke kept an eye on the approaching dusk and when Clarke decided it was sufficiently dark she lead her beautiful girl upstairs, to her room where the boxes still sat in the corner.

"Are you sure?" Lexa asks hesitating by the door. The petite blonde grabbs her by the collar of her blue and green flanel and pulls her in the room shutting the door behind her. They stand, kissing, shifting their weight as if they were slow dancing. Lexa diligently following Clarke's lead; allowing her shirt to be unbuttoned and pushed off her shoulders. Watching Clarke's face as her hand lingers on her skin tracing the shape of her shoulder and collarbone with the tips of her fingers.

After a deep breath Clarke pulls her own shirt over her head exposing her all of her skin, her breast and the scar. Lexa follows suit by removing her own bra. With another deep breath Clarke reaches across the space between them and grabs her lover's hand placing it on there on the thick line between her ribs.

Lexa runs her thumb over the line, "Does it hurt?" Clarke shakes her head closing her eyes and turning her head slightly. "Look at me." Lexa whispers stepping closer to her and pressing their skin together, "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Sometimes I look at you and my heart hurts. You are strong and smart and kind and flawed. And I really like you, a lot. I like you more than I thought I could especially now that you shared this with me."

Lexa leans down for a soft kiss, they stand kissing and swaying in the dark, their bellies and breast touching for the first time. Clarke starts pushing Lexa back towards the bed. And pushes her shoulders down for her to sit. Lexa looks up, "Tell me if you need to stop." Clarke leans in for a kiss and nods.

They make love for the first time, completely openly and honestly. Every once in a while Lexa would graze the scar with her hand or lips and she could feel Clarke tense up. She drank her blonde american bombshell in for for hours until their hips were sore, and their hands ached, and their mouths were dry. They fell asleep naked, with as much skin on skin contact as was possible with Lexa on her stomach, and Clarke stacked on top of her, using her shoulder as a pillow rubbing the outline of the dove until she could hear Lexa's steady breathing and fell asleep herself.

* * *

When Octavia came in at around midnight the racket she was making in the kitchen woke Lexa up. She slid out of bed and dressing in Clarke's clothes silently went downstairs. Standing in the doorway watching Octavia devour the gnocchi dancing around in delight moaning after every bite, until she turned around, "Motherfucker!"

"Shhhhh."

"You scared me."

"I'm sorry." Lexa's whisper is almost inaudible.

"I'm armed you know? Don't fucking scare me."

"I wanted to thank you for today. You were very kind. You are a good friend Octavia."

"You are good people Lexa, she's better when you are around. Less, I don't know, boring, uptight, nervous and ridiculous. Did you make this yourself?" Lexa nods. "Dump Clarke and marry me?" Lexa shakes her head and glides back up the steps.

"Is everything ok?" Clarke croaks as the light from the hallway slices into the room.

"I wanted to see if Octavia liked the gnocchi. And she's down there making pornographic sounds while eating it, so... I think that's a yes." When she slides back into bed she wastes no time turning Clarke on her back and climbing on top and in between her legs. Clarke is warm, and soft, and rubs the cold off Lexa's skin from the visit downstairs.

Lexa brushes a few strands of hair from Clarke's face, her eyes adjusting to the dark she can see the outline of her face, she kisses the freckle just above her lip, "I'm glad I kissed you that day." she says lowering her lips to a nipple.

"Even with all the trouble I make."

"Even though you make me cry." she says into the warm and parted lips begging for a kiss, pushing her hips down until her blonde makes that noise and slides her hands down her back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for the reviews, you have no idea what it means that you are reading and enjoying this.**

 **EDIT:** BrokenBastion pointed out that Rosario is a better province for Alejandra to be from. So I changed it.

* * *

"She's not here Clarke."

"Raven? Where are you?"

"Down here."

"How did you know it was me?"

"The boots."

"I actually came to talk to you." Clarke looks around the crowded garage. There are various posters of cars, motorcycles, and even one that's just a gleaming 8 cylinder engine with the words Cobra across the top. From a set of speakers mounted on a chrome bumper turned into a shelf a woman's voice wails out lyrics about some man while making her electric guitar scream for mercy. The garage has a loft and it is filled with parts; lights, plastic things, metal things, tubes, chrome pipes. The only light comes from the open garage doors, one leading to the lift in the backyard one to the street.

"Oh?"

"I can come back if you are busy."

"No, this tin can isn't going anywhere soon. What's up?"

"I need your help. My mom gave me her tickets to Christmas Gala at the German embassy." Raven pop's up from beneath the little red roadster. "Hi."

"Hi. That's a pretty big deal."

"Yes. I want to ask Lexa to go, but I don't want her spending a fortune, she doesn't have, getting dressed." She clears her throat. "If I give you money, can you tell her it's from you?"

"What?!"

"Yeah, I mean, it's just. She's, you know how she is. I just want her to feel beautiful and not be worried about being able to pay the rent after."

Raven thinks for a long time, wiping her hands and looking Clarke up and down in a way that makes her feel like she's about to get schooled about something. "Clarke, we all have scars." This is not what she was expecting, at all. "Some of us even have nasty thick ones, I've got one from my hip to my knee. You've got your stuff. " Raven points her chin at Clarke as the blonde wraps her arms around herself.

"They let people know we've been through some shit. Like a warning flag. My cousin's are invisible. They are on the inside." She reaches into the fridge and pulls out two beers. "Have you ever seen the inside of a soccer ball? That's what Alexandra's insides are like: Kostia, not playing pro, being raised a continent away from your parents, seeing them for 3 months out of the year then getting sent away."

Raven sits on the hood of the car. "You know, until she was 13, she thought they were sending her away because she was too much to deal with. Like a hand full. Can you imagine? I'm sure you don't know this, but she was a saint."

"I believe it." Clarke takes a sip from the cold bottle.

"Last year, she was there when I wrecked. We were on a ride together. She was ahead of me, didn't realize I wasn't behind her for about 10 min. She doubled back and found me on the street. The guardrail nearly took my leg off."

"Lexa never talks about it. What made you wreck?"

"Would you believe me if I told you it was a suicidal groundhog?" They share a quick smile. "Growing up, she got top grades in school, played for the most prestigious clubs in Rosario, got accepted to the finest University in the country. She could have brokered the peace treaties, figured out a way to provide peace and prosperity in places that haven't had it in over 100 years. Should be traveling the world playing pro ball. Could be happy and fat and covered in babies. But she's here, because her parents asked her to be. Because her duty to her family, her people, is stronger than anything she might want or need. She will work in that restaurant until the day she dies. Because that's what she's supposed to do." Clarke nods. "Don't fill her head with fairy tales. Be real with her and for her. Don't show her this world just to take it away. Don't scar her up anymore."

"I can't promise you I won't hurt her. I can promise that I'll do my best not to. Raven, I love her." The words surprised Clarke as much as they surprised Raven. The both take a drink in silence.

"Have you told her that?"

"No. This is the first time I've ever said it outloud."

"Ok, maybe say it a few more times before you tell her, cuz you look terrified."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Yeah but you have to come up with a better plan. She knows I don't keep money around."

"Ok" Clarke looks around the room, "Sell me your bike. How's $700?" In the corner of the garage, in a crumpled knotted heap laid the remains of a black Yamaha R6.

Clarke drove away from the house with a smile on her lips, Raven standing in the street, and a pile of scrap metal in the back of her truck.

* * *

They took the Espinosa's sedan the morning they headed into DC. Two black garment bags stretched on top of each other in the back seat. They had an easy hour drive, teasing each other about what was in the garment bags, singing loudly to the sad and romantic songs that played on the radio when Clarke drove, and she almost always drove.

Dr Griffin's apartment was modern and shiny, and all of her furniture had straight lines. Nearly everything inside the apartment was black, gray or white and it reminded Lexa of an operating room. Dr Griffin was polite enough to Lexa and even practiced her spanish on her. After hanging their garment bags in separate bathrooms so as not to see each other get ready the doctor took them to lunch. Clarke, who had found some courage after all, had warned her mother that if she didn't behave they would stay in a hotel. Lexa was her typical charming self and held Clarke's hand under the table as they ate.

The city was quiet, the bitter cold keeping nearly everyone indoors. Lexa wanted to see the Christmas tree, so they bundled up and headed out. They put a dollar in the open case of a man playing Christmas music on a trumpet outside the metro station, they walked with their arms linked to see the White House at night, then to see the tree, and then finally when Lexa couldn't stop shivering Clarke convinced her to go back to the apartment and get ready.

Clarke could hear Lexa's thumping getting-ready music from down the hallway when her mom came into her bathroom where she was pinning up her hair. "You doing ok in here?" Clarke smiles and nods, her mom sets a cup of coffee on the counter next to the hair dryer "I like her, you shouldn't have hidden her from me."

"I know."

"Is she going to school?"

"No."

"So she just works in the restaurant?"

"Don't start."

"I'm sorry. I'm just curious."

"Sure you are." She takes a deep breath and reminds herself that she only has to get along with her mother for a few more hours. She takes a long drink from her coffee. "I really like her mom."

"I can tell."

"I mean, I love her."

"I know honey. I can see it." Right as Clarke's eyes well up, and before they could share too much of each other Dr Griffin squeezed her daughter's hand, tells her not to ruin her makeup.

She helps Clarke pin up a few loose strands of hair, "I won't be here when you two get back, I have a conference in Rio in the morning. I already called you a car, it'll be here in an hour, here's the number, call them about 15 minutes before you want to come back."

* * *

"How did you know I wasn't going to wear a tux?"

"Because a little birdy told me I was safe to wear the tux."

"Raven has such a big mouth."

Clarke was wearing a simple black tuxedo with a white pleated shirt and little black buttons leading up to a black bowtie, her big watch peeking out from her sleeve. Her hair was loosely pinned back with two strands of curls on either side of her face. Her mother had lent her pearl earrings before heading out the door with her suitcase in tow.

Lexa had straightened her hair and wore it loose down her back. She was in a red sleeveless floor length dress, black stitching accenting the corset. A single sterling silver bracelet on her right hand and matching necklace caught the light and looked like it was glowing against her olive skin. She told Clarke she forgot her earrings so they both headed to her mom's jewelry box to find something appropriate. They took a couple of pictures standing in front of a floor-length mirror for Raven and Octavia, and rushed out the door when the phone rang to tell them their car was there.

It was a long elevator ride down from the penthouse, just as Clarke was fussing with her sleeves thinking about the fact that Lexa hadn't hardly touched her since the big wardrobe reveal she was pinned to the back corner of the tight space. She closed her eyes and waited for the fireworks, but they didn't come, "What?"

Lexa lips a whisper away from making contact with Clarke's, "I'm thinking?"

"About?"

"How much I want to go to this party." She brushes her lips on Clarke's taking in her breath, "If I start I don't think I can stop. I've never seen anyone look so sexy in a tuxedo in my life."

"Look here Tigger, we are going to this party. I want to show you off." Clarke pushes Lexa back and to the opposite corner of the small space. Standing as far away as she can while still hold her hand. "I was wondering what was going on with you. It's freaky when you are so quiet." Almost on cue Lexa beams a smile as the mirrored doors ding open.

Lexa had been to DC plenty of times before but never at night. There is a sight right out of a Christmas card at every turn. When they drive by Georgetown University Lexa lights up.

The large black sedan pulls up to a building that looks like a cruise ship, white lights, blue glass, and a long line of black sedans pulling up to the front entrance. Inside it was like a scene from a disney movie, with waltzing and ladies with gloves up to their elbows, and a roasted pig with an apple in it's mouth. A sea of tuxedos, and gowns, and holly and candles. There was a jazz band playing american holiday classics; Clarke lead her lady in red to the dance floor and when White Christmas came on, with her arm wrapped around her waist Clarke whispered, "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

* * *

The ding of the elevator taking them back up to the penthouse caused a reaction in Lexa like that of Pavlov's dog. In a second she had Clarke off the ground, against the side of the small space, legs wrapped around her waist moaning as she kissed her hard. "Lexa your dress."

Lexa shushes her by putting their mouths together again, tasting the champagne on her tongue and and feeling her heart beat fast against her own chest. When Lexa becomes distracted by the tiny black buttons keeping Clarke's skin away from her hands, Clarke starts again, "They are probably watching us on CC in the lobby."

She shushes and kisses her again but then leaning her forehead on Clarke's she pries her mouth away. She lets the small blonde back down to her feet but keeps her pressed against the glass still focused on those buttons.

Once inside the apartment they kiss and kick off their shoes. When Lexa carefully places the borrowed jewelry in a little bowl on a table by the door, Clarke gets a drink of water from the kitchen. Lexa takes the glass from her hand, drinks the cool liquid and sets it down on the counter. Her eyes trained on Clarke.

"It makes me nervous when you watch me like that."

Lexa roughly tugs at Clarke's pants, opening them and letting them fall in a heap on the floor. She slides her hands under the jacket and pulls the small shoulders out, the jacket heaping on top of the pants.

"Don't worry gorgeous, this won't hurt a bit." Leaning down to kiss her Lexa picks her up and put her on the black marble slab of the kitchen island, lays her down carefully and still in her dress makes a meal of Clarke.

* * *

Clarke wakes to Lexa running her warm hand along her inner thigh. As her eyes focus in the morning light finds green eyes staring at her. "Did you know that when you first wake up your eyes are almost silver?" Clarke shakes her head, Lexa leans in for a kiss moving her hand up and rubbing her palm over Clarke's breast bringing herself up and on top of her, one leg between hers. "They don't turn dark blue until I do that." Clarke pulls her in for another kiss, and Lexa starts sliding her hand back down, "I'm going to see if I can get them to turn black."

Around noon time Clarke stumbles out of the bed a little light headed and wobbly returning with drinks and snacks from the kitchen. She has found and is wearing her tuxedo jacket. She sets the cups and plate on the nightstand and tugs at the corners of her mouth, straightening the nervous smile that's building, "I'm going to say something but I don't want you to say anything back Lexa. Just, listen and don't saying anything."

Clarke had been practicing saying this since she blurted it out to Raven two weeks ago in the garage. She has been looking for the right time, the right circumstance, the right event. She thinks of all of the times she's meant to say it but didn't, and she knows she wants this to feel to Lexa as important as it is to her. She reaches out and covers Lexa's mouth with the tips of her fingers, "I love you." Lexa just nods and when she moved her hand away she kisses the lips that spoke the words she already knew.

* * *

Back in Clarke's truck after dropping off the sedan, Lexa's silence is wearing on Clarke. She starts second guessing her declaration, wondering if it's all too much too soon for Lexa. She hadn't wanted Lexa to say something reflexive, and now she's quiet and it's making her nervous.

"Pull over!"

"Are you ok? What's the matter?" Looking all around the truck and then at the serious girl in the passenger seat.

"I'm fine." Lexa reaches over unbuckles Clarke's seatbelt and grabbing her hip slid her to the center of the leather bench seat. Her movements are slow, with long pauses in between each thing, unsure what is happening Clarke stays as still as possible. Finally Lexa throws her muscled thigh over Clarke's hips, and pressing her body to the one below her kissing the worry line forming on the forehead, tangling her hands in the loose golden mane she kisses the lips that are pressed together in a straight line until they open and let her soft tongue in.

When she pulls away Clarke's hands are squeezing on her hipbones. She stares into the dark blue eyes thinking about her experiment earlier that day. "I love you too Clarke." the blond's chest rises and falls and she takes what feels like her first real breath since getting out of bed to get the snacks.


	8. Chapter 8

**I can't believe I already wrote and published 8 chapters.**

 **Thank you all for the support. I love the comments you are leaving, keep it up.**

* * *

The February night is cold and damp. Dirty piles of snow banked against mailboxes and curbs brighten the nearly pitch black walk from where Raven parked to the small white house with the green shutters and the front porch. The only sound is the uneven crunch of Raven's winter boots cracking the salt on the sidewalk. Raven and Lexa walk, arms linked, up the driveway passing Jasper, and up the steps. They don't recognize the two frozen figures smoking on the deck but hellos are still exchanged.

When Lexa pushes the doorknob, they are greeted by a wave of heat desperate to escape the small house, a steady bass thumping, and loud voices. The lights are dim inside, the furniture has been pushed to against the walls, making it a little easier to move around the crowded bodies. A few Valentine's day decorations ripped and defaced, a cupid hanging from his neck strung up in the center of the room. At first the noise is unintelligible, yells, laughter, the dull roar of chatter. The strobe light at the top of the steps is disorienting as Lexa looks around for Octavia and Clarke. They seem to be suspiciously absent from their own party. Raven leans in to ask Lexa who all of these people are, she shrugs and leads them to the kitchen.

It seems that every party attendee is in the main room, the kitchen is only slightly quieter. Lexa grabs Raven's coat and scarf and heads upstairs through the crowd to deposit her things there.

From the slightly higher vantage point of the stairs Lexa identifies the cause of excitement. Three inverted bodies lean against the wall between the main room and the kitchen. They are doing push ups the crowd loudly counts "5, 6, 7."

She spots Raven, drink in hand leaning on the kitchen door frame watching the action, "12, 13" still no sight of the hostesses,"15, 16, 17." One of the inverted bodies drops down, she recognizes the mustached man from the firehouse. "20, 21, 22." The other body drops, and struggles for his balance, it's Lincoln. Octavia appears out of the crowd steadying him with arms around his waist. "24! 25! 26!" the crowd is counting louder and louder. Finally the last inverted body drops down and Clarke's face comes into view; eyes dark and devious, broad smile, arms raised soaking in the glory. "GRIFFIN!"

Her face is flush, the veins in her neck and temple are distended from the exertion, breathing heavily she pulls her tanktop from her waistbands. Two large men pick her up on their shoulders. She squeals with surprise, as they take her for a victory lap she sees Lexa on the steps and blows a kiss to her. They finally put her back down on top of the coffee table

"I told you not to bet against me Green!" She yells pointing at a dejected young man with shaggy hair putting money into Octavia's extended palm. Lexa finally makes her way to the coffee table and gets Clarke's attention by gliding her fingers down Clarke's forearm and into her hand, "My latin lover!"

Clarke's skin glimmers with sweat. She reaches down grabbing Lexa's flannel by the collar and steadying her hot breath for a beat she pulls Lexa up for a kiss.

"How long have you been here?"

"I just walked in."

"Did you see me?"

"You were glorious." Lexa steps up on the coffee table and kisses her again.

"I have defeated men in a physical challenge!" Clarke is gesturing wildly, and talking as loud as her raspy voice will allow. "Take me upstairs! I must make love to a beautiful woman!" The crowd cheers.

"Stop it!" Octavia is suddenly on the table with them. "Raven! Jell-O shots!" Grabbing Lexa's arm to steady herself Raven climbs up to the table. When she's settled Octavia hands each of them a small paper cup. The four of them stand on the coffee table toast and consume. "Do they know the rules?" Clarke shakes her head, "Ok ladies, this is the Anti-Valentine's Day party." She looks right at Lexa and wags her finger at her. "No romantic shit."

"No one drives home drunk. What's the other rule?" Clarke chimes in.

"I can't remember." Octavia is pulled off the table by Lincoln who starts carrying her off into the laundry room where the keg is, she grabs the door frame "I'll think of it and come back!"

"Las veo a las chicas." Raven grabs Lexa's arm again as she comes off the table and over to a crowd of familiar faces.

When Lexa turns her attention back to Clarke she has a red cup in her hand. Lexa watches for a second as she settles a bet and teases a co-worker. A few blonde threads stick to her face, when she turns to face Lexa who reaches up and wipes them away. "You are all sweaty."

"Sorry."

"No, I like it. Reminds me of our first date. Dance with me." Lexa reaches a hand into the wet hair in the back of Clarke's neck and kisses her again, her hips start to involuntarily sway to the thumping bass. The taste of bourbon is thick on Clarke's tongue, sweet and a little like burnt sugar. Although she can't hear it she feels a monan shake loose from Clarke's throat. The small house is hot, and the small blonde in her arms is nearly on fire, Lexa steps back to shed her flannel and expose chiseled arms, her body ticking emphatically to the beat. "Where are your shoes?"

By the time Clarke bounds back down the steps feet nestled safely in some pink converse. Octavia and Raven are back up on the coffee table with Lexa and they are once again doing Jell-O shots.

The night becomes a swirling of color, dancing, shots, sweat, music, and shots. The thumping bass of the music becoming part of the screams of "Shots" the laughs and shouted conversations had right into someone's ear.

When the last of the guests leaves, and Octavia carries the last of the trash bags full of cups and empty bottles to the curb, she comes back to find Raven asleep on the couch. She puts a blanket on her and climbs the steps. Shouting a "Good night" into Clarke's partially open door, and getting a delayed combined, "Night" as she pulls her door closed.

* * *

Octavia parked in the back of the restaurant, and came in through the kitchen. She found Mr Espinosa pouring over his bills in his office. After a polite exchange he got up and retrieved his daughter from the lunch rush.

"Clarke's alright, but you need to come with me. Can someone cover your shift?"

"Papa! Me voy! Ok, let's go."

"Is that it? Get your stuff."

"Esta todo bien hija? Octavia, is everything ok?"

"Thank you for getting her Mr Espinosa. I'll come by later and give you an update if I can."

Octavia opens the back door of the cruiser for Lexa and instinctively tells her to watch her head. They drive the 10 blocks to the hospital, as they pass the firehouse Octavia throws her hand up at the bodies in blue standing in a clump in front of the bays. Lexa notices the ambulance isn't in it's usual spot.

"She looks a lot worse than she is Lex. Don't freak out." Lexa nods, Octavia can tell by her silence that she's scared. She's holding her jacket and her phone close to her body, she seems smaller than usual. Octavia puts her hand high on Lexa's back as she leads her through the automatic doors and down the hall. Grabbing the silver door knob officer Blake squeezes Lexa's shoulder, "She's ok, take a deep breath. Ready?"

Lexa think's Clarke has never looked smaller. Her right forearm is in a bright white cast, there are scratches along her chin and jaw. Eventhough she is sleeping Lexa can see her left eye is swollen shut, there is bloody cut beneath it held together by what looks like tape. Lexa's heart is beating in her ears, the beeps and lights from the surrounding machines are just as unsettling now as they were when Raven sat in a room like this.

Tentatively Lexa sits on the edge of the bed and rests her hand on Clarke's knee.

"Knock knock knock! You gotta wake up darlin'!" A thick woman in her mid thirties walks in, banging the door as she enters startling Lexa. Octavia, moves away from the bed to give the woman access to her friend. "Clarke, I need to take your vitals. Open up those pretty blue eyes." The woman is rough with her squeezing and shaking the tattered blonde's feet. Who finally cracks a sliver of blue towards the movement in the room. "There you are." She's begins by taking her pulse, "Open up." As the thermometer goes in, the black thread of stitches in on the inside of Clarke's bottom lip are exposed.

"Hi Princess. This is a hell of a way to get a few days off work." Octavia is the first to speak, the soothing smile comes easy to her lips. "Your nurse, Jen, says you're being a real pain in the ass."

"Listen, I want you to go get Lexa. Don't tell her what happened, she'll be scared. Be nice to her."

"I'm right here, gorgeous." Lexa squeezes the leg under her hand. Slowly Clarke turns her head struggling to keep her eyes open she pulls her eyelid up with raised eyebrow, a sliver of blue peeks out again. She's moving like she's underwater, her words are sticky in her mouth.

"Oh, hi baby, I couldn't see you." Lexa is doing her best to not look scared. She swallows hard while her green eyes scan every cut and bruise on Clarke's face. She stands and leaning down kisses the bridge of her nose.

"We've got her pretty well loaded up." The nurse assures in her Shenandoah drawl, "I'll be back in an hour. Looks like you're gonna make it Griffin." She leaves and pulls the door behind her, Octavia reaches for and squeezes Clarke's foot and follows the nurse out.

Lexa sits quietly on the bed, hand resting on the knee again. Desperately wanting to crawl into bed with Clarke and sing "Sana sana." until all of her parts were healed. But she's too afraid to touch her anywhere but her leg. She watches Clarke scans the room and lands back on Lexa, "Hi baby. You look so good." She reaches her hand up and rubs Lexa's face, her need to comfort and care unrelenting. "Don't be scared, I'm ok."

"Can I get you anything? I think there's some water here."

"I'm hungry, did you bring me one of those pork chops you make with the potatoes and the capers?" Lexa smiles and shakes her head. "They are so good. What's in my mouth?" She reaches up with her good hand and Lexa stops the motion. Octavia walks back in distracting her, "Hi rabbit. How's Echo?"

"Don't call me that. Is Echo your driver? She's ok, I need to take a statement. Do you remember what happened?"

"Um, we picked up that guy from the car wreck on 17, he was pretty banged up, I was in the back with him, we were heading back here, and then boom... Did you know Lexa didn't bring anything to eat?" Octavia and Lexa exchange glances.

"Clarke, why don't you go back to sleep?" Octavia motions for Lexa to follow her into the hall. "I talked to the nurses, you can stay here tonight and tomorrow. Text me a list of what you need from the house and I'll bring it after shift. I'm trying to get a hold of her mom, but I think she's overseas."

"Do you know what happened?"

"From what we can tell, like she said, they were coming back here from a call. Some guy, probably on his phone, t-boned them. She was in the back so she bounced around a bit, she has a compound fracture inside that cast, the eye and the lip look bad but are not a big deal, and a concussion, but otherwise she's ok." Octavia grabs Lexa's arm. "She's so strong, she used to get hurt all the time when we were kids. I'll bring you something to eat when I come back with your stuff ok? Get back in there."

* * *

"I am not an invalid."

"Clarke, please?"

"My legs work just fine."

"You are terrible."

Clarke was released after two days in the hospital. Her mother had not been to see her, but she did call once, at 4 in the morning. Clarke had been moved to a private room from the ER about an hour after Octavia dropped off Lexa's bag and a sandwich from her parents. A redhaired teenaged candy striper is pushing Clarke's wheelchair out to the front where Lexa pulled the truck up. The swelling in her face had gone down significantly the cut under her eye is still meaty but the plastic surgeon assured them it wouldn't scar. Clarke shoots up from her wheelchair just as the candy striper pushes past the automatic doors.

"I'm driving."

"Clarke!"

She's in the truck and shutting her door as Lexa thanks the young girl. She winces pushing the shifter into first gear, keeping her eyes forward, hoping Lexa didn't see. When they drive by the firehouse Clarke honks her horn and throws her hand out the window. The dark blue sweatshirt and pants she's wearing courtesy of the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company are brand new, a gift from the chief.

The cold March air is knocking around the cabin and Lexa cowers in the passenger seat, hoodie over her head. "Sorry babe, I can't stand that smell. It's stuck to me." She reaches to turn on the heat, and rubs Lexa's leg in the process. "You wanna stop by the store, I'm sure Octavia ate everything in the house while we were gone."

* * *

Clarke is standing in the shower letting the water pour over her head and face when she feels the chill of the shower door open. Lexa kisses her shoulder before starting to lather her up. There is a white plastic bag over the cast on her arm, and she's resting it on the cold tile over her head. She opens her mouth and lets the water pour in, cleansing her inside and out. Lexa has moved on to her arms and when she turns to face her, the softest whisper of a kiss lands on her swollen bottom lip.

White bubbles are applied to her neck, chest, and belly, Lexa pays special attention to her left arm where the iodine stained the pink skin a sickly yellow. She finds bruises and scrapes all over Clarke's body. After a soft rub with a soapy hand some turn out to just be bits of dried blood. There are circles drawn with markers around bruises that the doctors were keeping an eye on. There is a large hard bruise on her thigh that feels like someone put a baseball under her skin. Lexa crouches and kisses it softly, willing it to heal, rubbing white bubbles on her calves and feet.

When she starts working the shampoo into her hair, Clarke closes her eyes and rests her chin on Lexa's collarbone. Finding more scabs and lumps Lexa is careful to work crusty bits out of her scalp. With a kiss on the nose Lexa leans her back into the water to rinse off her hair, running her fingers through the blonde waves and applying conditioner to the knots.

"Can I do you now?" Clarke's good hand is resting on the small of Lexa's back.

"I have to wash your face now." She remembers the instructions from the nurse and only rubs soap where she knows she's allowed to touch.

"Why are you so good to me?"

"Because I love you very much; and because you let me, sometimes."

"I should let you more often."

"Yes."

* * *

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You are not going to hurt me. I'm really tough."

"What about your lip?"

"Works just fine see?" Lexa pulled away from the kiss almost as quickly as it started. Clarke has her pinned up against the dresser, naked from the waist up, a t-shirt in her hand. Frustrated by Lexa's reluctance she grabs her neck and kissed her again, pulling her down and into the kind of kiss that makes Lexa's knees weak and she drops the shirt from her hands to steady herself with Clarke's hips. For the last eight days she had not left Clarke's side, making meals, doing laundry and helping Clarke bathe. The blonde was starting to feel something like a caged animal.

Lexa kissed her like she was made of glass.

Clarke lifts her own shirt off, Lexa's eyes go right to the bruises and cuts. She wraps her arms tightly around Clarke and puts her forehead on the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. "Look at me." Clarke takes Lexa's face in her left hand, her brow is deeply furrowed as she reads the concern on Lexa's face. "Tell me what's going on."

Lexa bites her lip, as her eyes dart all over Clarke's face. "I love you so much." Clarke nods. "I just want you to get better."

"This is going to help me get better."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Lexa, if you touch me like you do in the shower and then not fuck me one more time I'm going to explode." Clarke kisses the smile that creeps up Lexa and they finally lock eyes. She pulls her to the bed, and playfully pushing her back Lexa falls on the mattress with a bounce. "I miss you."


	9. Chapter 9

**I've been having a little trouble writing so this chapter is a little shot. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Lexa could hear the yelling all the way in the driveway, so she came back in to see what was holding her date up. She followed the sound of voices to kitchen.

Octavia looked downright scared, which was a first, "Octavia Blake, let me see. I saw you wince when you reached for a coffee mug, you've been wearing the same button up shirt for two days, and I know you fell at work the other day. I just want to look."

"I bet you wanna look. Get away from me, I'm fine." Clarke has Octavia cornered in the kitchen, almost toying with her, inching closer and closer. The cast on her right arm almost in tatters.

"I've been waiting out there for 10 minutes, what is going on?"

"Lexa! Perfect, hold her while I see what's going on with her shoulder."

"What?" Lexa was in no mood to tangle with Octavia. "Clarke, we're going to miss the movie if we don't leave right now. It's the first one of the season. They are playing that one with the sexy redhead I like." Octavia tried to slip by Clarke when her attention was on Lexa, but instead, like small rodent that's about to become lunch, she was pinned.

"Jesus Clarke why are you so strong?"

"Lexa, get her arms please? Hold still little rabbit." Knowing it was useless to argue with her Lexa did as she was told. As soon as she put her hands on each of Octavia's biceps and pulled back she started to yell for her to stop. All three of them froze, then Clarke opened the top button of Octavia's shirt to expose the golfball size lump in her collarbone. "You broke your clavicle!"

"It's no big deal. And don't call me rabbit; I hated it then and I hate it now."

"It's a huge deal actually. It could heal like this, like you swallowed a golf ball...like you have a goiter. You really should get screws put in and straighten this thing out. If this happened at work why didn't you get this taken care of? And I'll stop when you stop acting like a little scared rabbit."

Octavia is feeling embarrassed and she steps out of Lexa's grasp. "Remember how I told you we broke up a fight at the high school?" Clarke and Lexa nod. "Well, one of those little bitches got a good push on me and I fell into the bleachers."

"A basketball player?"

"No, a cheerleader. Stop laughing! This is why I didn't tell you! Clarke Griffin you are a bad friend! Stop laughing!" The more irate Octavia got the worse her laughing got. Lexa stood stunned looking between them like observing some kind of social experiment gone wrong.

"You would let your pride get in front of healing a bone properly? I mean if you wanna put up a brave front for the boys at work, believe me, I get that. But this is me. What's the point of having a best friend who can fix you up if you won't let me fix you up?"

"Stop yelling at her Clarke." They both turned to look at Lexa surprised about whose side she was on. "You are the same. Both of you will walk around in pain, and say nothing. Even when surrounded by people who can help. It's like you're sisters, you make me crazy."

Clarke sent Lexa the truck toolbox in search for a brace the only instruction she got was that it was in the shape of an 8. Octavia drank a straight shot of bourbon, while Clarke watched a video on how to set a clavicle. "I'm just saying, if you don't know what you are doing. You could make it worse."

"This is just like the time in Brazil when you jumped into that river to impress a boy, what was his name? Finn Collins? You slit your leg open. Remember?" Clarke grabs the half-full glass of bourbon from Octavia's hand and nearly finishes it raising of both eyebrows and handing her back the glass, "Drink up, it's going to hurt." Octavia shakes her head and pours another.

"This _is_ just like that time. You were 17! I'm supposed to let you do something you are not trained for?"

"We both know I was stitching my dollies closed before I knew how to tie my shoelaces, and at least I had the sense not to jump in a muddy river and nearly lose my leg."

"You did sleep with him though. Remember? Later that summer." Clarke stares intently at the video playing her her hand. Ignoring the barrage of questions. "How was that? He was such a hottie, he had really good hair, remember? What was that other guy's name? Adam?" Clarke could tell the bourbon was working by how many questions Octavia was asking in succession.

"If you two are going to spend the night talking about past conquest I'm going to the movie by myself." Lexa was standing in the doorway holding a white strap folded into a number eight.

"Oh come on! Stay. Why are you getting so upset? I'm the one about to get strapped to a chair and tortured. Do you want a drink? We should do a shot! Who wants to do a shot?!"

After the procedure Octavia is grumpier than usual but luckily bourbon makes her sleepy, so she calls to cancel her plans with Lincoln and while she's stomping around downstairs she overhears Clarke and Lexa, "I'm sorry we missed the movie baby. I promise I'll make it up to you," Clarke's raspy whisper get's particularly growly when bourbon is applied. "We'll find something good on pay per view. And then I'll do that thing, we were trying the other day." She buries her face in Lexa's hair kissing her neck.

"Eww, can you keep your pants on in the common areas?" Octavia stomps up the steps, bourbon in one hand phone in the other. "Someone better make me pancakes tomorrow. I'm talking to you Alexandra! Clarke burns them!" She yells as she closes the door to her room.

* * *

She had the thin, thready voice of a woman who told a million bedtime stories, and sang a trillion silly songs, thousands of them about the same crazy chicken, and called her Alexandra to dinner from the kitchen door thousands of times. Her thin long legs and arms folded in sharp angles. As Lexa lay on the couch with her head in her Abuela's lap getting her hair braided. Abuela's long gray curls clipped away from her face on top of her head but otherwise loose like a mane framing a features that, in her day, could have sailed a thousand ships. Lexa talking and laughing in hushed tones as if in a secret language staring absently at a bag of rubber bands in her hands.

Clarke leaned on the countertop between the kitchen and the family room, half hiding behind a potted plant. Taking in every detail, hoping to be undetected. Greedily observing Lexa in this rare quiet moment. Clarke watched as the wrinkled long fingers made their way from Lexa's scalp through her curls sorting and selecting which strands to twist. The only word she could make out was Nenona, which as it had been previously explained meant "big little girl."

Apolo whining from his crate sold her out. "Clarke!"

"Don't get up. Mucho gusto Doña Espinosa." As she made her way to the couch hand outstretched, Lexa shot up with a bounce and helped her abuela to her feet. Without hesitation the tiny wrinkled palms were wrapping around Clarke's face, and pulling her in for a kiss on the cheek.

"Alexandra, pero es hermosa. Mira esos ojos. Por Dios Alexandra de donde sacaste esta belleza." Clarke's cheeks were getting warm as they blushed from the contact and excessive compliments. "Yo me llamo Luna, o Abuela. Nunca Doña Espinosa."

("Alexandra, she's beautiful. Look at these eyes. My God Alexandra, where did you find such a beauty." … "My name is Luna, or Abuela. Never Doña Espinosa.")

"Gracias, bueno. Mucho gusto Luna." Clarke had been practicing her spanish every free second, since the day two months ago when Lexa told her she was coming for the summer. Lexa grabs Clarke by her newly bare right forearm, "You are free." Clarke nods and is surprised when she's pulled in for a kiss; Apolo barks, growls, and claws at the cage.

Luna nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound, "Apolo y la puta madre que te pario! Alexandra sacalo a correr?"

("Apolo you son of a bitch! Alexandra take him for a run?")

While Lexa dutifully took the hellbeast for a run to the firehouse and back Clarke and Luna start preparing for the family meal that's coming. A lot of their dialogue and Luna's instructions have to be acted out. Luna is patient about speaking slowly and explaining herself several times. Every so often patting Clarke's hand and saying "Jour spanis is bery goot." nodding graciously Clarke would asks more about when Lexa was little.

Lexa comes in trying to catch her breath having run the few miles and then tying the dog outside, "Todo bien? Do you need a break Clarke?"

"No we're doing great. I'm learning how to make empanadas." Clarke points at the small pile to her right.

After washing her hands, Lexa takes Luna's place in the assembly line and continues the work. Smiling proudly as Clarke takes her fork and presses the edges of the empanadas closed.

Slowly the house fills with people, first Lexa's parents, then Raven and her family, little by little long time employees from the restaurant come in and set up the house for the large meal.

Clarke catches only about every third word, and getting the jist of the conversation from Lexa's whispered updates. The large table was set up outside, the April afternoon is warm enough. Lexa's father got teary when he made a toast, he thanked God for having the fortune of enjoying a meal with his mother and daughter at the same table. They feasted on empanadas, gnocchi with lamb, and seasonal vegetables. When the coffee got brought out, Clarke ran inside to bring out a cake Octavia had helped make. Everyone oohed and clapped, joking with Lexa that she was going to get fat. Clarke felt like her heart was going to burst with joy, and grabbed Lexa's hand under the table.

* * *

After the meal, while Lexa, her mother cleaned up the kitchen, and Luna napped, Clarke, was dragged outside by the hostess' daughter demanding she read "Pinkalicious". She found a sunny spot in the corner of the yard away from the bigger kids playing soccer.

Lexa's mom caught her daughter staring out the kitchen window rubbing her hands dry with a dish towel. "Que hace la Leona?" ("What is the lioness doing?")

The nickname was born out of Clarke's general demeanor, the fact that the dog hated her, her low growl of a voice, and the widely known fact that given a warm place and relative quiet, specially if it was in the sun, Clarke Griffin could be found napping anywhere like an oversized house cat.

Returning to work was helping her to feel more normal but getting used to sleeping in a room full of snoring first responders was more difficult than she expected. After two months of snuggling with her warm Argentinean almost every night spoiled her.

"Duerme." Lexa responded glancing at her mother who was looking her shoulder. Anya Espinosa looked out the window at Clarke laying on a lawn chair, legs crossed at the ankle, with a two year old in pigtails sitting on her lap; both of them fast asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much for your continued support. I got my writing stride back today.**

 **Let me know what you think. I love reading your reviews.**

* * *

Clarke drove the narrow winding roads of the Virginia countryside her arm leaning out of the window taking in the rare break from the heat in early June. The sun had a vicious bite but a sweet and forgiving cool breeze from the mountains made everything better. Cool air whips around the cabin of the truck, her golden hair is tied back, a tattered red baseball cap keeps the hair and sun out of her eyes. As she drives she thinks about the sleepy Lexa she left in bed that morning. Warm hands, soft lips, and strong legs, how her voice sounded deep and soft, protesting and grasping for her when she climbed out of the bed early that day

 _"I'll be back for lunch, I need to run a quick errand to the firehouse in Berryville."_

 _The day had been bright from first light, it looked like mid-day even though the birds were still shaking off the night's sleep from their wings. After getting dressed Clarke leaned down to kiss the sleepy tangle of hair and limbs. Her lips landed on the green and brown ink on already sun-kissed skin barely visible between hair and the tangle of white sheets. Lexa spun around and brought her down into the bed, climbing on top of her, wrapping her legs and arms tight around her, "Now you have to stay, you are trapped."_

 _"Baby."_

 _"It's my first free Sunday in weeks. You said we'd say in bed and catch up."_

 _"I know, but the chief just sent me a message that the firehouse in Berryville has this thing we've been looking for. I'll be back before you know it, go back to sleep. Please, stay here, sleeping, naked in my bed till I get back."_

Grace Potter serenades Clarke as she drives thinking of her girl, wondering where she'd find her when she got back into Warrenton, Lexa wasn't very good at taking orders or keeping still specially not on sunny summer days.

Clarke sang loudly rocking her head back and slapping her hand on the steering wheel. "You've got the sweetest little hands on this side of the Rio Grande, and If you love me you've got to love me right so take your sticky little fingers and hold me tight."

Everything was making her think of Lexa: a twisted lone tree next to a stone fence in a grassy field, a small cafe next to train tracks, a rare daylight sighting of a racoon scampering in the shade of the treeline jumping a stump and disappearing into the woods.

Clarke had loved Lexa and left her sleeping before pulling on her boots and creeping downstairs. Already wishing she was back in bed by the time she put the key in the ignition, fighting the pull to fake car trouble and put off her trip for another day.

The actual errand had taken longer than she anticipated, her Berryville counterpart was quite chatty. She smiled politely and limited the small talk as much as possible, thanking him for keeping her in mind when they realized they had a spare. All the while her mind flooded with images of the previous night; waking up to Lexa's hands on her skin, her lips on her mouth before she could get her eyes open.

Getting back in the truck Clarke thought about the night she gave Lexa a key to the house.

 _She had come downstairs for the second night in a row at 2 am to let her into the house after a wedding. Lexa sat on the top step a few feet from the door, watching the night, quietly waiting for Clarke to let her in. When the door opened she turned to see a sleepy Clarke waving her in. Lexa was lacking the usual bounce in her step her hair was neatly braided back and off her face, her eyeliner smeared a from the heat and a full day of sweating and running around._

 _Wedding season was in full swing and the restaurant had been busy, Lexa talked her parents into putting her in charge of catering. She had hired Lincoln and a few other cousins to help her. Nearly every Friday, Saturday and Sunday since the weekend her abuela arrived she'd been working from dawn until after midnight._

 _Once in the kitchen Lexa sat on the counter as Clarke watched her eat by the light of an open microwave. Clarke reached into her pajama pocket and handed her a key, Lexa took a long drink of water as she ran her thumb over green M &M on the key, "You have so many keys on your ring between the restaurant and everything, I didn't want you to waste time trying a bunch of keys when you could be getting in my bed."_

" _The green one is the sexy one."_

" _I know. Do you like it?" The key had spent all day in her jean's pocket, most of the night on her dresser, and as soon as Lexa texted that Lincoln was dropping her off it went into the back pocket of her blue flannel pajamas._

" _It kind of makes me want candy."_

" _Does it kinda make you want anything else?"_

" _Clarke, you know I always kind of want something else." She launched herself off her seat and stepped into the space between them putting the key in her pocket after giving it a little kiss. She slid her arms under Clarke's and pulled her in tightly as she kissed her._

 _When Lexa's hands slid down her back and into her pajama pants Clarke pushed her shoulders back, "Not so fast Tigger, Octavia reminded me very loudly of our 'not in common areas' agreement after last night."_

* * *

 **Clarke:** What are you up to?

 **Raven:** Chillin, changing the oil on a bike.

 **Clarke:** Jasper isn't feeling so good. Can I get your help? *attached image of steam billowing out from under the hood.

 **Raven:** Shit! Are you ok? Where are you?

 **Clarke:** I'm OK, I pulled over as soon as I saw the steam. On 601, about a mile south of Mt. Weather. The reception here is not great or I would have called.

 **Raven:** I know, stay put, I'm on my way.

Raven had warned Clarke not to push her truck so hard, especially on steep inclines. But her mind had been flooded with Lexa, leaving no room for paying attention to the temperature gage on her dash. Now here she was, wasting time that could be spent with her girl, sitting on the tailgate, on the side of a cliff, waiting for Raven to show up with a tow truck.

The wait was giving her plenty of time to replay the previous night's activities. Smiling and touching her lips at the thought of soft skin on them, the smell of Lexa still on her hands.

The high pitched rebel yell of a motorcycle pulled her out of her daydream. The sound of a hand letting go of the accelerator at the sight of her truck made her turn her head and, as it passed, Clarke thought, "That's just like Lexa's bike." It disappeared behind a turn and reappeared a few minutes later. Clarke rubbed her hands on her face dreading the thought of having to spend the rest of her wait making conversation with the good samaritan.

The bike stopped a few feet from the truck and at this distance Clarke recognized the shape of the familiar girl on it. She jumped off the tailgate and crossed her arms in front of her as she tries to contain what was happening to her body at the sight.

Lexa pulling her helmet off and unzipping her jacket half way. Her hair in a single braid down her back, her black leather jacket hugging her torso like a second skin. Her jeans tight, snug over the riding boots. She tucked her gloves into her helmet and stuck it on the mirror.

"Hi gorgeous. Need a ride?"

"I was just thinking about you. What are you doing out here? How did you find me?"

"I was with Raven when your texts came in, let me give you a lift home." Lexa had gotten off the bike and was unlocking the extra helmet from under the seat.

"Ummmm…"

"What? Are you scared? I promise I'll be good."

"Lexa, I'm the one who shows up to look for body parts when people wreck on these."

"Come on Clarke; the roads are clean, it's still early no one's on the road..." She placed Clarke's helmet on the tailgate and kissed her blonde in distress. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Do you trust me?" Lexa was almost whispering.

"Yes."

"I promise you will survive the experience."

"Maybe life should be about more than just surviving. Don't we deserve better than that?"

"Maybe we do." With one hand on Clarke's hip and another around her neck Lexa leans in for a kiss, soft and comforting, soothing the worry from Clarke's face. "What do you say? Wanna wait for Raven or come with me?"

"You'll take it easy?" Lexa nods, "Ok."

"Go get the leather jacket I left behind your seat." Clarke smiles at the thought of Lexa having planned this ambush so many months ago. "Go put it on darling." Lexa produced leather gloves from inside her spare helmet as Clarke got the jacket from the truck.

"Come here." Lexa sits on the tailgate and twists a neat braid into Clarke's hair. Placing a kiss her on the neck when she is done.

Clarke put her keys in the glovebox, a white rag in the window, and her hands around Lexa's waist as she threw her leg over the bike.

* * *

Riding with Lexa was a cross between flying and falling. Clarke had gotten a quick tutorial before the kickstand got tucked up and the engine started screaming, "Lean where I lean, even if you think we're going to fall don't try to straighten the bike out, trust me, have fun."

Clarke does her best to hold her own weight up on the tank but not holding on to Lexa was like falling without the flying. One time she closed her eyes as they leaned into a turn, she thought it would be more comforting not knowing how close they were to the asphalt. She didn't expect the dizzying feeling from slingshotting out of the turn. When reach a straightaway or a stop sign and Lexa reaches back and gives Clarke's calf a comforting squeeze.

They had been riding for about a half hour when Lexa felt Clarke start to relax. She leaned into the turns with her more fluidly, she gripped around her chest more loosely, and when she looked in the mirror she could tell from her eyes that Clarke was smiling.

"You doing ok gorgeous?" Lexa asked when they were at stop sign. Clarke just nodded her head and gave her a tight hug around her ribs.

There's not a lot of time to think about anything but the road when one rides with such precious cargo but in the quiet of stop signs and traffic lights Lexa soaked in the joy of sharing such a sacred thing with Clarke. The longer they rode the more comfortable Clarke got, and the more enjoyable the ride became. When the road would straighten out Clarke would sit up in her seat her hips sliding forward slightly. Lexa couldn't decide if she prefered feeling Clarke's chest on her shoulder blades or her hips on the small of her back. Either way she was struggling to stay focused and was glad when a little yellow light asked her to stop for gas.

"I'm going inside for some water, want anything?" Clarke asked getting to her feet and taking her helmet off, stretching her legs and back by twisting her torso.

"Water would be great." Lexa's attention is on filling the gas tank. When she finishes filling the tank she pushes the bike to the side of the store in the shade. Her yellow R6 looks like a tabby hiding in the shade, ready to pounce. Sitting in the shade Lexa leans her head back and takes in the cool breeze from the mountains. It rustles her gray cotton shirt as she tugs on the material unsticking it from her skin.

Half of Clarke's water is gone as she comes through the glass doors, "Over here gorgeous."

"Where are we?"

"West Virginia someplace."

"Where are you taking me?"

"On a ride. Are you having fun? Do you want me to take you home?" Lexa sets her water down and stands from the curb. Turning her back on Clarke as she leans on the building and pulls on her ankle stretching her quads.

"Yes and yes."

"Already?" She starts to turn towards Clarke who is suddenly right behind her pressing her body against hers and sneaking her hands under her thin t-shirt to find the soft skin beneath. She is feeling very brave in the relative privacy of the shade. Her hands are cold from the water bottle and when Lexa's muscles clench from her touch she closes her eyes and presses her face to Lexa's shoulder blade.

The ever vigilant Clarke allows herself only a few seconds of this bliss before forcing her eyes open to see if anyone is watching. After assessing the coast clear she leans on Lexa's back again and brushing the soft damp fabric with her lips, "I have wanted to get you home and out of your leather jacket since you took your helmet off at Mt. Weather." Lexa dips her head, her face can hardly contain her smile. "I'm so hot for you right now I'm having trouble not jumping your bones up against this wall." Clarke is pulling her back, pressing them together. Lexa grabs her hands through the thin material of her shirt until she loosens her grip. She turns in place to face Clarke who doesn't take her hands out from under her shirt and kisses her chin as Lexa watches a large sedan pull up to the pump.

"We need to get back on the bike before we get ourselves into trouble." Clarke nods and pulls away, grabbing for her helmet and gloves, "If I'd known you would have this reaction I would have taken you out sooner. Like on our second date." Lexa's smile disappears inside her helmet, she throws her leg over the bike, and grabs the handlebars as Clarke stands on her footpeg and with new found confidence climbs to her seat.

Lexa had them at speed a few seconds after winding through the gas station. The sound of the screaming engine was more soothing than Clarke expected it to be. She thought it sounded like humming, like bike was telling a story or singing a song. When they cross the state line back into Virginia, Lexa pulls over to instruct Clarke to sit as still as possible, in a few minutes the road gets intense, a series of about 20 winding turns all in a row, like riding the back of a copperhead. It's over in a few minutes and Clarke relaxes again, sitting back in her small back seat and putting her hands on Lexa's hips.

In a few more minutes they are pulling up to a restaurant with outside seating and a pig wearing a hat on it's sign. The woman behind the counter has thick black plastic glasses, a short haircut and a tattoo wrapping around her forearm. There's a picture of a baby girl holding a BBQ rib with sauce all over her sweet round face. After ordering their lunch Lexa asks if she knows whether the dam is open.

When Clarke asks where to next Lexa tells her to leave her gear on the coat hooks by the door of the restaurant. She thanks the owner and they head out across the street.

Lexa leads them through a small town, through a few blocks of houses and then down a dirt road to a river. There are thick woods on either side of the river, they walk along a thin path Lexa in front, she sometimes looks back excitedly at Clarke, pointing out where she needs to watch her step. The day is getting warmer, the cool breeze visits them less and less.

Clarke starts to think about how many times Lexa has taken this walk, the other girls she's brought down this path, Lexa is getting more excited the closer they get to whatever is at the end of this quick walk. Just as Lexa reaches back with her right hand and starts unraveling her braid they come to a little bit of a clearing, the river is dammed and there is a pool of crystal clear water about 20 feet wide.


	11. Chapter 11

Lexa reaches down loosens the clasps to her boots, lifting the bottom of her jeans and opening the zipper to free her feet. Clarke watches wide eyed as Lexa strips her clothes and walks into coppery pool. A few loud quick breaths and a tightening of her arms and back is all the reaction she has to the cold water. She pushes her arms forward and dives into the deeper water before her, vanishing beneath the water for a few seconds and coming up closer to the middle of the pool.

"Do not leave me in here by myself."

Clarke realizing she was watching frozen in place, takes a deep breath and starts stripping off her own clothes. In a few seconds her boots stand empty next to her jeans and blue cotton shirt up on a rock, bra and underwear in a heap on top.

"It's cold!" Clarke wades in to her hips.

"Yes, but getting in is the only way you are getting your hands on me." Lexa splashes water in Clarke's direction. The blonde reaches back for her braid, rakes her hand through it and her pink skin vanishes beneath the coppery water with a squeal.

"What if someone sees us?"

"I've never seen anyone here but Raven and myself."

"You swim naked with your cousin here?"

"Not naked with her, no."

"Who have you swam naked here with."

"I can't remember their names now."

"Oh names? Plural?"

"Oh yes, going for motorcycle rides and then swimming in cold water with beautiful American girls is my signature move."

"Say signature again?" Clarke is swimming in a circle around Lexa who is waving her arms under the water trying to catch her.

"No. Come here."

"Say motorcycle again?"

"Motorcycle." As the words come out of her slightly purple lips Clarke is against her back, her warm skin pushing on her back, hands sliding around her ribs cupping her breast, resting her face on her shoulder. "Why do you make fun of my accent?"

"Oh, I'm not making fun." Clarke turns Lexa towards her and kisses her plump lips, "It's super sexy." Lexa reaches for the back of Clarke's thighs the silky legs wrap around her. "Say gorgeous."

"Gorgeous." Clarke tightens her grip on the muscled back and kisses her again.

"Your birthday is coming up."

"It's over a month away."

"What are we going to do to celebrate?" Clarke smiles at the question and kisses the girl held tight in her arms. "Besides that."

* * *

"Hi I'm Clarke Griffin. You look familiar."

"Oh, Alexandra Espinosa. Yeah, you look like someone I used to kiss."

"Used to?!" Clarke lunges across the bench seat grabbing Lexa and covering her with kisses, as they topple over. She kisses every part of her face, neck, and hands that went up instinctively as the blonde flew in her direction, climbing on top of her, pinning her down, kissing her chin and eyes.

Lexa lays still as a mouse feeling Clarke's weight on her, and the warmth of her kissing. "Open you eyes." Lexa opens her eyes to find the blonde staring at her from above, "I missed you." Clarke runs her hand along Lexa's jaw and wipes the hair from her face.

"I'm so sorry gorgeous. I can't believe how busy I've been. Has it been two weeks?" Clarke has nestled her head on Lexa's chest, listening to her heartbeat, she nods in agreement. Lexa is the one running her hands through Clarke's hair now. "All of this catering craziness will die down by the fall it will be October before you know it. We'll be dancing under that blue car lift." Lexa, starts rubbing her back.

As the girls lay quiet, listening to each other breath, the small exposed bulb overhead illuminating only the truck cabin and the humming of the night solidifying the feeling it was a universe of two in that moment.

"What are you wearing sweet girl?" Clarke hadn't noticed before pouncing, but suddenly the turquoise silk blouse with large green circles under her face was screaming for attention.

"They wanted the staff dressed as jockeys."

"Oh God! Let's get you out of this." She sits up, knees on either side of Lexa's left leg and starts to unbutton.

"Clarke! We're in a parking lot, my door is open, and my dad is still in there. He said he was going to watch and make sure I was safe."

Clarke's head shoots up but she can't see anything beyond the lit up cabin of her truck. "First of all, from now on tell me when he's around before I climb on top of you. Second of all I forgot we were still the parking lot."

"First of all you didn't give me much of a chance to tell you and second of all, I miss you." Lexa was doing that thing where she was looking at Clarke like it was the first time she'd seen her face. The way she looked at her sitting on the tailgate when Clarke put little black knots on her knuckles. The way that made Clarke forget how to breath, and made her feel special and wanted and needed.

"I need to get you back to the house. Do you have what you need at my place? Or do we need to go by yours?"

"I have not been to your house in two weeks. How could my stuff be there?"

"You're right, that doesn't make any sense, I'm delirious with lust. I'm going to have to pull over in a few blocks and do you in the truck, I hope that's ok." Clarke is back behind the steering wheel and turning the key in the ignition.

"Clarke, I live five blocks from here. I think we can make it." Lexa sits up enough to pull the door closed, but stays sitting sideways, one leg over Clarke's lap, the other folded up under the blonde's arm.

"We can make it but you can't look at me like that."

"Like what? You cannot even see me now that the little light is off."

"I can feel it. Stop it! I'm trying to drive, put your seatbelt on." Trying to look serious Clarke managed a wiggly smile and only one upset eyebrow.

"You are a ridiculous person Clarke Griffin."

"Yes."

In a few minutes she was backing her truck up Raven's driveway, two minutes after that they were at the top of the stairs, and 15 seconds later Lexa's silks were on the floor. Clarke had backed Lexa to the bed, kissing and undressing her fanatically. When Lexa laid on her back Clarke started kissing her hips and working on prying the white capris off, "You can't do that." Lexa's hands were on Clarke's face, trying to redirect her attention.

"Why? I like doing that."

"Because, I need to pack and if you do that I'll fall asleep. And then we won't go anywhere, and we'll spend the next two days in this bed with your scanner in the background distracting you. Instead of celebrating your birthday." Lexa resting on one elbow pulls a loose strand of blonde hair and tucks it behind Clarke's ear.

Clarke folds at the waist and rests her forehead on the neat little squares on Lexa's belly. "I kinda like you bossy but I kinda don't."

"Ok, gorgeous, I promise, just as soon as I'm done packing."

* * *

"Where are we going!"

"Asking louder isn't going to get me to tell you."

"Why do you have to drive MY truck? This doesn't feel right."

"Get over it! This is good for you."

"How is this good for me?"

"Clarke, relinquish control. It's ok. Enjoy the ride."

Clarke leans against the door with her legs folded up before her, one arm wrapped around her knees the other stretched out the window. She keeps looking over at Lexa, who looks too good behind the wheel, her hair neatly tied back, dark sunglasses, there's a thick watch on her wrist. She think's Clarke can't see that she's checking it anxiously. Besides checking on the time she seems at ease behind the wheel with both arms outstretched and grasping the wheel. The breeze whistling in through the windwing, rustling the white t-shirt she was wearing, tugging and pulling on the two black suspenders connected to her faded blue jeans, emphasizing her tight frame

"Raven fixed this gas gauge right?"

"I'll tell you when you tell me where we are going."

"Clarke, how am I supposed to know when to get gas?"

"Just tell me!" Clarke collapses on the bench seat, propping her head on Lexa's strong thick thigh.

Lexa bites her bottom lip and shakes her head trying to contain a smile. She does not want to give Clarke the satisfaction of making her smile when she's being like this.

"Do you really want to know? You want me to spoil the surprise? I've been planning this for weeks."

Clarke turns to hide her face in Lexa's shirt. "No."

Lexa reaches down and rakes her fingers through Clarke's hair. "What is happening to you? I have never seen you like this."

"You have never kept a surprise from me." Lexa can feel the expression on Clarke's face as she talks through her thin fabric of her shirt, "How much longer till we're there? We've been in this truck for hours."

"We have been in this truck for one hour, Clarke, and it will take as long as it takes."

The heat of the late July morning, the steady humm of the truck on the highway, and Lexa's hands in Clarke's hair were a recipe for a sleeping Clarke. With her face pressed into Lexa's hip, nose buried in her t-shirt Clarke slept until the bump of coming off the highway jostled her awake. Sitting up with a start and struggling to get her bearings.

"It's ok, you're safe." She turns to see Lexa's smiling face. "You've been sleeping for an hour."

Clarke groans and stretches her neck, pushing it with a closed fist elbows up high over her head. As she turns her face stretching she sees the red marks on her arm, left there by the leather seat. She tugs at her shirt sleeve trying to cover the marks. Pulling the vanity mirror down to check her face for marks she finds, a note stuck to the glass.

 _Clarke,_

 _She has been planning this for months._

 _Go easy on her._

 _R_

"I'm going in for snacks! Want anything?" Clarke tucks the note into her pocket and looks through the back windshield for a response from Lexa. Raised eyebrows and a head tilt is all the response she needs.

The gas station offers the usual fair of pork rinds, hotdogs, chips, candy. Clarke does one full loop to asses every snacking option before settling on enough snacks to satisfy a car full of hungry teenagers.

"I know where we're going!" Clarke starts calling out to Lexa as soon as she's out the door.

"No you do not!" Lexa was still standing between the pump and the truck.

"We're going to Bethany beach in Delaware."

"You figured it out."

"Really?!" Clarke puts her pile of snacks in the floorboard and starts doing a little victory dance.

Lexa watches for a second, biting the corner of her lip to keep from smiling "No."

"Wait, what?"

Lexa finishes with the pump and gets back in the truck. "Come on gorgeous."

"Where are we going?"

"You are like a child. Did you get me candy?"

Soothed by the salty snacks and the cool beverages they drive another two hours singing and talking and playing driving games. Lexa pulls over on the side of the road in front of the "Welcome to New York" sign.

"Here." She pulls from her back pocket a white envelope and hands it to Clarke.

Clarke smiles wide accepting the envelope and takes her time opening it. "Lexa, this is too much." inside the envelope are two tickets to a concert that night in Brooklyn.

"I got us a room for the next two nights. I talked to the chief, she knows you are going to be gone. So you don't have to worry about that."

"Lexa, this is too much." She leans across the bench seat, and gives her a kiss. "Thank you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you all for your follows and reviews. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

Clarke had her hands on Lexa's thigh as the New York skyline came bounding out of the horizon. She had never been here before, not like this, she had layovers in JFK on her way out of the country but never came upon the city. Lexa grabbed her phone off the dash and with one eye on the road navigated her device, "I made something for us."

As soon as the drum beat starts Clarke's eyes light up and Lexa starts singing, "Yeah, Yeah, Imma up at Brooklyn, Now I'm down in Tribeca, Right next to DeNiro." They wave their arms and wiggle in their seats, singing at the top of their lungs, pointing and swaying smiles beaming. As they drive into the city Lexa gets more serious, Clarke excitedly points and smiles at every recognizable landmark, dancing in her seat. At every stop light the small blonde lunges across the bench seat wrapping her arms around strong shoulders and kissing soft skin hiding under thick brown hair.

"This is my best birthday, ever."

Lexa struggles to focus on her driving, on where she's going, but she can't stop looking over at the blonde sitting next to her who's beaming, and singing, and whose hand is in her hair and thumb is soothing her neck. She takes Clarke for a quick loop around the city and then over the Brooklyn bridge.

There are no hotels on the block Lexa keep circling looking for a parking spot. "Where are we staying?"

"Oh, I hate hotels. Raven's cousin from her mom's side lives up here, we are staying in her apartment."

"Oh, I had no idea. I can't wait to see what she's like."

"She won't be here, Clarke." Lexa found a spot big enough for the truck and is expertly parking it under the pressure of Clarke's nervous assesment. "She's in Virginia...she flew down... this morning." When she's done parking, she smiles at Clarke, grabs her hand and bring it to her lips, "It's over, you can breath now."

"I wasn't nervous. You were doing a fine job."

"Sure. Let's get our stuff, her apartment is on the other side of the block."

Locking up as much of the truck as she can while Clarke unloads their bags and lines them up on the sidewalk, Lexa looks around to make sure she has her bearings and is headed in the right direction. "Ready?" She takes her suitcase in one hand and Clarke's hand in the other.

The block is predominantly residential buildings; 4 stories high, fenced-in trashcans, thick doors with locks and short awnings. Fire escapes webbing up the front of the buildings. On the sunny side of the street nearly every balcony has a garden. Brightly colored flowers cowering in the mid-day sun. On the shaded side of the block open windows share with the world the smells and sounds of lunch time: clinks of flatware against bowls and plates, the groan of chair legs against hard floors begin dragged over to the table, voices, music, laughter.

Rounding the corner, Lexa points with Clarke's hand in hers to the market there, saying they have the best and freshest bagels and juice every morning. A few kids are clustered in front of the Brooklyn Public Library, on their bikes, backpacks sagging, the cluster quiets down and opens to let them walk by. On a bench, in the shade of a tree a mother and toddler enjoy some lunch.

This side of the block is all steps and hand rails, one next to another, between the iron and cement small gardens, thick wood doors with glass in them and old black lights in the corner. Each residence is painted a different color, some are bare brick, or stone, most are painted: white, yellow, blue. When they reach the bright red steps Lexa stops and reaches into her pocket for a key, still holding the smaller hand in hers, "Here we go."

The cool of the building is a welcomed relief from the suffocating heat of July in the city. They pause in the foyer for a second, Lexa takes a deep breath and starts up the steps. "Just one flight gorgeous, come on."

"Why couldn't there be an elevator?"

"This is Brooklyn, not DC. Do you want me to get your bag?"

"Remember the elevator after the gala? That was pretty hot."

"If you want, we can be sexy on these steps too." Lexa is coming back down the steps.

"I got it, babe don't come back down. You can be my lure, shake your hips for me baby." Clarke grabs her bag and starts climbing steps.

The apartment is small, but has everything they need, a bed, a shower, electricity. On the counter Clarke finds a note in spanish addressed to Alexandra.

Lexa reads silently, and smiles as she sets it back on the counter. Turning to find Clarke she points to a sequence of capital letters in the middle of the page. "The wifi password is on this."

"What else does it say?" Clarke comes up behind her, and wraps her arms around Lexa's waist hooking her thumbs on the suspenders.

"Oh, just wishing me a good time, and giving me a recommendation for dinner tonight."

"What's making you smile pretty girl?" To emphasize her inquisition Clarke pushes on her toes and leans into Lexa, making her take a step forward.

"Um… It's a surprise." she turns her face over her shoulder towards Clarke. Then lifts one arm so she can turn inside Clarke's arms, and lowers it on strong shoulders once they are facing, "Are you hungry?"

"Starving"

* * *

They had returned to the apartment after lunch so they could be rested for the long night ahead. Lexa had driven the whole way from Warrenton to New York, and even though she said she wasn't, Clarke could tell, she was exhausted. Her usual bouncy Tigger had turned into a sluggish Pooh. Still smiley, upbeat, sweet, and sexy, but in a sleepy kind of way. Her gestures were more subdued, she leaned on Clarke more when they hugged or kissed, and her usual break neck pace walk was slowed down enough that Clarke could keep step with her.

Clarke begins to wake up. As the cloud of sleep lifts, she remembers where she is. Turning to her right she sees Lexa's naked back, and it feels like coming home, she suddenly realizes that, for the first time, home is a person and not a place.

The bright summer day still rages on. She can hear the pulse of the city outside their window; cars, voices, ambulances, the jingle of a dog being walked. As she yawns she reaches out stretching her back and arms. Knowing she should let Lexa sleep, she forces herself quietly out of the bed and after a silent tour of the apartment returns to bed with a glass of water.

Unable to stop herself, she traces the image on Lexa's back with her finger. She notices a new detail, there is something carved into the trunk of the tree. A heart, with an arrow through it, she rubs her thumb over the spot.

Laying in the white sheets in the mid afternoon Clarke debates waking Lexa, who's soft warm skin is frequently impossible not to touch, kiss and bite. The window unit is doing it's best to keep the small space cool, but it's fighting a losing battle against the city heat. Lexa's skin is down right hot so Clarke pushes the sheets completely off her body.

As she does, she lets out a confused hum when she discovers Lexa is wearing a pair of black and red briefs. Thick waistband, sturdy cotton. She was definitely not wearing these when Clarke fell asleep exhausted and satisfied two hours ago.

Lexa starts to wake, her back ripples as she stretches and contorts, squeezing the sleep from her muscles. Clarke hooks her hand on Lexa's hip and as she turns Lexa, runs her hand up her torso, resting it on a brown nipple.

Green eyes look from her hips to Clarke's raised eyebrows. Lexa runs her hand up Clarke's arm when she reaches Clarke's face she runs her thumb on the bottom lip of a slight smile, "Do you like it?"

Clarke nods and playfully bites Lexa's thumb. In a second Clarke's eyes go from an inquisitive gray to a dark blue, her face is flush, her lips are red, and a devious smile spreads. Sitting up, leaning on one straight arm, the other is now traveling back down Lexa's torso, to the tight thick underwear holding the erect cock tight against Lexa's pelvis. She dips her fingers below the waist band feeling the heat building up on Lexa's skin, she growls excitedly.

As Lexa rises to a sitting position Clarke throws her leg over her thighs and when their bare chests touch she receives Lexa's eager mouth with a kiss. The excitement of the new toy is almost too much and Clarke feels the heat building up in her almost too quickly. She pulls out of the kiss, and takes two deep breaths leaning her cheek on Lexa's.

Lexa whispers, "Is this ok?"

Clarke takes in the stunning face before her, Lexa's lips are wet and raw from kissing, her eyes are almost glowing with excitement, they are wide and look confidently and steadily right at her own. Clarke lets out a slight laugh and into Lexa's kiss she says, "This is really good."

Lexa bites her neck and shoulder, reaching down to feel the wet heat the blonde is creating between her legs. Excitedly she runs a strong hand through the sticky silk of her lust and with one hand on her hip and the other on the small of her back she guides Clarke on top of her hips. Clarke let's out a slow breath as Lexa works it inside her, and when she is able to slide it all the way in she pulls the strong shoulders in tight and both begin to grind hips.

In a few seconds a cool sweat covers both of them, hot breath on each other's skin, wet moans, fingers digging into muscles, pulling and pushing to get the right pressure in the right place.

"Clarke." Lexa looks deep into the dark ocean in Clarke's eyes when she climaxes first, the excitement of trying something new catching her off guard. When she clenches her arms tight around the warm sweating torso in front of her, stuttering her exhale Clarke holds her tighter knowing she's about to collapse.

"It's ok, Lexa, let it happen."

The pleasure rippling through Lexa's body translates into a vibrating effect inside Clarke. When the last wave has dissipated, Clarke slowly lowers Lexa back on the bed, she leans down still grinding and pumping her hips, she licks the drops of sweat pooling between Lexa's breast. She continues to work, leaning back, bracing her hands on Lexa's thighs.

Lexa fights the fatigue, reaching up heavy arms cupping excited breasts bouncing before her.

Waves of pleasure continues to ripple through Lexa's body. The sight of Clarke on top of her and the rhythmic movement drain every last ounce of tension from her muscles, in epic and overwhelming pleasure. Her ears begin to ring, her tongue is thick in her mouth. She reaches for Clarke's thighs but her hands can't seem to grip, numbness climbs up her fingertips, through her forearms and elbows until both arms are dead weight. Lexa watches as Clarke moans and grunts, and finally gets what she was looking for, release.

Clarke is soaking in her own sweat, her hair sticks to her neck and face. Salty drops, drip down her torso, Lexa watches as she gathers her hair pulling it off her skin. With every rise and fall of her chest more sweat covers her sun kissed skin. She reaches for Lexa's limp arms and pulls her up. They sit locked together, cock still inside, panting and holding eachother tight until Clarke can catch her breath enough to speak.

"I did not see that coming."

Lexa pulls away to reach for a glass of water on the night stand. After bringing it to Clarke's lips, she takes a drink washing away the sticky from her own tongue, "That's how surprises are supposed to work gorgeous."

* * *

The heat in July, in the city, is unrelenting. It bounces off buildings and radiates from the sidewalks and streets, every surface is hot, even the ones out of the direct sun. Sympathetic store owners put out water bowls in the sidewalk for furry city dwellers, birds bathe in whatever puddles they can find, babies wear oversized hats to cover their new and sensitive skin. But Clarke is blissfully ignorant to it because Lexa's fingers are laced with hers and they are walking to dinner before the concert on her birthday.

After taking the subway into Manhattan, they walk a few blocks to the restaurant; Lexa's favourite Italian kitchen. It's small, family-owned, most of the tables only seat two. They sit outside talking about everything they see, Clarke gushes about what a wonderful gift the trip is, thanking Lexa with a very public, very wet kiss. Twice the waiter comes by and both times neither had looked at the menu, so Lexa orders a starter to give them some time. Finally they focus and quiet down to make a decision. When he comes by a third time with a bowl of olives, they order, Lexa explains that it's Clarke's birthday.

"This is so surreal."

"How so?"

"I'm in this amazing city which, I somehow have never been able to make it to. There is this elaborate and mostly secret celebration for me. And I get to spend time with my beautiful girl, uninterrupted for another whole day. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up to the sound of my scanner, or your cellphone, or Octavia clomping down the stairs."

"This is no dream gorgeous." Lexa reaches out and runs her hand up the length of Clarke's arm resting it on her shoulder, "You look beautiful birthday girl."

"Thank you baby."

"Are you having fun?"

"Um...yeah. That surprise earlier after our nap was almost a little too much fun." Clarke is surprised by her own words and pushes her palm over her smiling lips, raising her eyebrows.


End file.
